Follow Back
by NaleyNaley2312
Summary: An unexpected notification causes Nathan to go down a trip on memory lane.
1. Chapter 1

**This is just going to be a oneshot, I think! I do have a few more ideas for it, so if enough people show interest, I might do another part or two.**

**I really, really enjoyed writing this.**

'haleyjames started following you'

The notification popping up on his watch nearly made him fall off the treadmill Nathan was running on.

He was hit by a ton of bricks just by something so simple.

He'd never cut a workout so short in his life, he pulled the key out of the treadmill, it coming to a fairly abrupt stop that he was thankfully ready for.

He whipped his phone out of the tray, standing on the still treadmill, staring down at the notification.

'haleyjames started following you'

He read again to himself, swallowing thickly.

Thankfully, and yet surprisingly, he was the only person in the gym at the moment, otherwise he would get curious glances as to why he stopped so suddenly.

Nathan wiped his face on the shirt he was wearing, before opening up Instagram and reading the notification one more time.

He tentatively tapped on her name, letting out a sigh at the conclusion he came to.

She was on private. So he would have to follow her back if he wanted to stalk her.

How long did he have to wait?

He quickly switched to his own page to view what she could view. Okay... Nothing too bad.

If she scrolled for a little bit, she'd hit his partying days, but those didn't matter anymore. At the age of 27, he pretty much posted pictures of his niece and nephew, some with some players from various sports teams, some with some friends, and the occasional picture of a landscape, rarely a photo of just him. Each with a corny joke that he found pretty funny, and his friends would tease him about.

A notification from Haley James was not something he had seen in almost six years.

The one that got away. That's what he'd call her if the sting of her breaking his heart didn't still hurt so bad.

Haley had been a grade older than him in high school, his brother Lucas' best friend since they were kids.

Nathan had pretty much had a thing for her since the beginning. Probably his first crush, he would say. His first real crush.

But she'd seen him as Lucas' younger brother.

So all through high school, he pushed her out of his mind. Forced himself into the role of a womanizer pretty much and he had fun doing it.

But there was always the nagging for Haley James in the back of his brain.

So he decided to request her as his tutor. It wasn't a stretch, because he really needed the help. She was probably the reason he passed his sophomore and junior year of high school.

Of course, his senior year, she'd gone off to Stanford.

He remembered every moment he shared with her. It was probably unhealthy how much he held onto those memories this many years later.

He remembered trying to flirt with her, but most of the time she'd just dismiss him. Every once and awhile, if he was lucky, she'd have a flirty response for him.

_"Did you dye your hair?" Nathan asked her, eyebrows raised. "Wait a minute, is this a new outfit?"_

_"Oh, he noticed!" Haley playfully slapped Nathan's arm, a big smile on her face._

_"Of course I noticed. I notice everything about you, Hales," Nathan said, offering her a genuine smile._

_"Oh really?" She hummed, raising her eyebrows and leaning closer to him. "What else do you notice?"_

_"How you twist the ring on your pinky when you get nervous," He said, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed by his observations, but he wasn't going to let that show. He was going to charm the hell out of Haley James._

_His eyes flickered down to her hands, noting that she was twisting the ring now._

_"Do I make you nervous, Hales?" He asked her, scooting closer to her and raising his eyebrows._

_Haley paused, looking at him with a dumbstruck look on her face. She opened her mouth to answer, before closing it._

_"We should really get back to work."_

Tutoring was the only time he had with her, because every other time, Lucas was around.

There was a brief stint his junior year where he had a girlfriend- a real girlfriend, not just some girl he booty called when it was convenient for him.

Peyton Sawyer. Now Peyton Scott.

Lucas had ended up marrying her, which was not a surprise to him at all.

That was probably the worst time of Nathan and Luke's relationship. When Nathan started dating the girl that Lucas had been eyeing for years.

Haley had talked to him significantly less, which destroyed him inside and turned him into the biggest jack ass.

Until she had been at their house and he'd left one of his tests on the table, marked with a bright red 'F'

Then the tutor inside of her took over, and she spent three hours in his room helping him with his homework.

He remembered her standing outside his bedroom so clearly.

_There__ was a knock at his bedroom door._

_Nathan let out a groan, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath._

_"Go away, Dad, I'm not in the mood!" He called out, staring up at the ceiling and sighing._

_Another knock, and Nathan was fuming._

_He stood up, marched over to the door and pulled it open, ready for a fight._

_As soon as he saw who was actually standing there, his features softened._

_"Haley," He breathed out, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing here? I thought Lucas left..."_

_"I was on my way out when I saw this," She said sheepishly, holding up the test booklet._

_"Yeah," He mumbled, rubbing his hand down his face. "I haven't been doing so well."_

_"Well, then let's go study," She said, tentatively resting her hand on his chest, pushing him back into his room, closing the door behind them._

_Nathan felt his mouth run dry at her actions. Of course, they were just going to study, but his mind couldn't help but wander._

_"Get your English homework out," Haley said, sitting down on his bed, scooting up until her back hit the headboard._

_Nathan did as he was asked, sitting down next to her slowly, his arm touching hers._

_He held the worksheet out to her, letting out a deep breath. "I just don't care about it, Haley," He mumbled, shrugging._

_"Well I care about it," She said, smiling at him, before turning her focus to it._

_After finishing the English worksheet, they moved to Science. The subject that Nathan probably excelled the least. You could explain a math problem to him, sure. But as soon as you threw the periodic table into his day, he was all sorts of lost._

_He was getting really, really frustrated, and he finally tossed his notebook aside, jumped up to his feet and stared down at her._

_"I'm done, Haley! I don't want to do this anymore," He grumbled, shaking his head. "I'm just going to travel overseas, play basketball in a league there for a couple of years, then move back and play in the NBA!"_

_"Nathan, come on..." Haley said, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "You were getting it."_

_"No! I've had a really shitty day, and frankly I don't understand why you're even helping me. I thought you froze me out," He snapped at her, searching her eyes._

_The guilt flashed across her face._

_Before he knew it, she was crawling across the bed towards him._

_It was like it was happening in slow motion. He swallowed thickly. What was she doing?_

_She stepped off the bed, standing so close to him right now._

_He wasn't sure if he'd ever stood this close to her._

_She slid her arms around him slowly, pulling him into a hug, her head falling to rest on his chest._

_Nathan wanted to keep his defenses up, but honestly, he was defenseless to her._

_He rested his chin on her head, his arms wrapping around her with ease._

_"I'm so sorry, Nathan," She said quietly, rubbing her hands up his back soothingly._

_"Do you only help me because of Lucas?" He asked quietly, frowning slightly._

_"No, of course not. You're my friend too, and I want to help you," Haley assured him, letting out a deep breath. "I was just hurt for Lucas, I don't know... But I'm going to help you, Nathan. I care about you too much to let you fail."_

_For Lucas. Kind of a blow, but he was standing in his room, hugging her nonetheless, so he wasn't going to get hung up on the details._

_Not to mention she cared about him._

_He held her tighter, squeezing his eyes shut._

_She held him just as tight to his surprise, continuing to rub his back soothingly, letting out tension he didn't even know that he was holding, until they were finally ready to get back to work._

Somehow that became their routine after that, any time he got stressed, she'd hug him. When he got a huge load of homework, he almost cheered because he knew that he'd be that much closer to Haley James. Sometimes he'd get cocky, and sneak in a hug at the beginning or end of each session.

They grew close, a lot closer than he expected, honestly. There were times where they'd be sitting on his bed, homework forgotten, having deep conversations about each of their futures. They'd laugh, they'd fight a little, but it was perfect.

There were so many times Nathan almost told her. To the point where he'd get out 'Haley, I'm-' but then he'd get scared.

When she left for college, his heart broke. She went all the way across the country, and never looked back. She'd promised to stay in touch, but she had not kept that promise.

"_Haley, I don't want you to go..." Nathan admitted to her, looking at her with sad eyes._

_"I know," She laughed, glancing over her shoulder at him as she packed up her last suitcase._

_Lucas had left the week earlier, so Nathan and Haley had been hanging out nonstop for a week._

_"When are you coming back?" He asked her, taking a seat on her bed, before falling back and staring at the sealing._

_Haley abandoned her suitcase, falling down next to him. "Christmas, maybe."_

_"Not thanksgiving?" He asked her, looking over at her and frowning._

_"No," She said, looking at him as well. "Depending on whether or not I get a job, I might not even come back for Christmas," She said, sighing softly_.

"_Oh," He said, a new wave of sadness passing over his features, but he quickly covered it up._

_"You don't need me here, Nathan, I promise. There are lots of great tutors at Tree Hill, and you have plenty of friends," She assured him, smiling. "In fact, I'm not even sure how you've hung out with me this whole week. Don't you have like a billion people inviting you places?"_

_"You're my favorite person in the world, how could I leave you to get all this done by yourself?" He gestured around her room._

_"Oh so your intentions were to help me?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows. "I didn't see that happening."_

_He shrugged slightly, looking up at the ceiling again and sighing._

_He felt an electric shock shoot through his whole entire body when she grabbed onto his hand, interlocking their fingers._

_He glanced over at her, but she was staring at_ the ceiling.

_Play it cool, Nathan. Don't bring any attention to the fact that you're in love with her._

_"California is kinda far," He mumbled, squeezing her hand lightly._

_"It's my dream school," She told him, letting out a deep breath. "It's scary, but I'm ready."_

_"I know," He said, looking over at her and smiling. "I'm just, uh, really going to miss you. Not just because you're my tutor."_

_"I know," She said back to him, smiling at him. "I'm going to miss you too, Nathan. A lot."_

_"Not until Christmas, huh?" He asked, raising his eyebrows._

_"Probably not," She said, shrugging slightly. "My parents have talked a little bit about coming there for Christmas though. Taylor lives in California too- for now. She could be long gone. And Vivian lives in Oregon."_

_"I see," He said, letting out a sigh._

_"You can still call me anytime, Nathan. It's not like I'm just going to forget you," She laughed, squeezing his hand, brushing her thumb over his knuckles._

_"I know," He said, shrugging. "I just really like having you around."_

_"If you're ever in California, you know where to find me," She laughed, "I'm sure my roommates will fall in love with you."_

_That hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes snapped to hers, his grip on her hand tightening._

_"I don't want that," He said quickly, before he could even stop the words._

_She looked at him, and he could tell she was trying to read the message his eyes were sending her._

_It was now or never._

_He leaned forward until his forehead connected with hers, which was a lot sooner than expected, so she'd been leaning forward too._

_His nose bumped against hers, and he could feel her breath on his lips. He was just about to make the final move and kiss Haley James for the very first time, when there was a knock at the door that had them both jumping apart._

_Jimmy had brought them both plates of food and decided to sit around and talk for a little while._

_When Nathan finished helping her load the last bag in her car, her parents both finding their seats. They were driving to California with her and then flying back._

_Haley turned to Nathan, a sad smile on her face._

_Nathan pulled her into a hug, his finding it's place on her head with ease. "I'm really going to miss you, Hales."_

_"I'll miss you too, Nathan. But I'm not gone forever, and you have my phone number, and I have yours," She told him, hugging him tightly._

_"I know, it's just different now," He said, shrugging slightly._

_Haley looked up at him, her hand moving up to cup his cheek._

_He thought she was going to kiss him, and maybe for a moment she considered it, but instead she just pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, before she gave his hand a squeeze, and told him goodbye, rushing to her car._

_He waved as they drove off, feeling the sadness really sink it. Of course, she'd put a band aid on it by kissing him on the cheek._

That was the last time he saw her for a year. She'd texted him on his first day of school, asking how it went, but the conversations dwindled after that.

He threw himself into his senior year. Threw himself. He went to more parties than he even remembered.

He tried to block Haley James out of his mind, but it never worked. He really loved her, and he really tried not to. No one else could fill the void in his heart.

He must've typed out a hundred different texts to her, some as simple as 'hey' but he never sent them.

Lucas would talk about her when he'd come home. He'd talk about how great she was doing, and how much she was loving the California lifestyle.

Jealousy always filled him. He wanted to know this stuff from her, not from Lucas.

When he was applying for colleges, he couldn't help but apply to Stanford. He didn't think he'd actually get in, but he hoped that his basketball skills were appealing enough to overlook his grades.

It was so crazy, because he'd always planned on Duke. His dad had always planned on Duke. His grandpa had always planned on Duke. And Duke was great, but Haley wasn't there.

And maybe it was crazy to switch his whole plan over a girl, but Haley was not just some girl. Everyone that met her knew that.

So when he got the acceptance letter to Stanford, he didn't give a shit about Duke. He was going to Stanford. His dad was pissed, but Nathan didn't care.

When he called Haley to tell her, she had been so excited to hear it.

He knew he made the right choice.

He'd decided to drive himself rather than take his parents along.

When he arrived, he pretty much threw all his stuff into his apartment, vowing to organize it later. Then he'd quickly showered, and changed, since he was meeting Haley for dinner in an hour.

_When he arrived at her apartment, his heart was beating out of his chest. He tentatively knocked on the door, it being opened by a girl he didn't know, but grew to know very quickly, one of her roommates._

_"Haley, door is for you!" The girl called out._

_Haley hurried into the entryway, running up to Nathan and throwing her arms around his neck._

_Nathan lifted her up off the ground, spinning her around, a big smile on his face._

_"I missed you," He said quickly, hugging her tight._

_"I missed you too," She responded, smiling up at him. She gestured to her roommate, letting out a deep breath. "This is Brooke."_

_"Hi Brooke," Nathan said, keeping one arm wrapped tightly around Haley, waving at her._

_"Nice to meet you, Nathan. Haley has been so excited to see you," Brooke hummed, smirking at Haley._

_"Would you, uh, like to come with us?" He offered politely, raising his eyebrows._

_"No, that's okay," Brooke answered, waving her hand dismissively. "My boyfriend is coming over and it's not very often we have the apartment to ourselves."_

_"Brooke," Haley groaned, shaking her head. "Let's go, Nathan..."_

_She took him to her favorite place, a little diner that was walking distance from her apartment building._

_He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy._

_Well, yes he could. And it was when he was with her._

_"So tell me everything," Nathan said, staring at her from across the table after their food was set in front of them._

_"Well, Stanford is amazing. I'm really having a great time here. I love school, you know that, but college is so great because you can focus on what you want to do," Haley told him, smiling brightly. "I'm actually set to graduate early since I received my Associate's in high school."_

_"Wow... How early?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows._

_"I have two semesters until my bachelor's and then I'm trying to decide if I want to continue from there," She told him, shrugging her shoulders._

_"Oh wow," Nathan said, both pride and a twinge of sadness flowing through him. "Let me guess, education?"_

_"Yep," She said, smiling at him. "What are you going to do?"_

_"I don't really know yet," He laughed, "I'm just signed up for general classes right now, but I was kinda planning NBA."_

_"Well, you are pretty damn good at basketball. And that's coming from someone who knows nothing about it. I guess it could be bias, because I do quite like you," She said, winking at him._

_Nathan grinned at her, tapping his fingers on the table. "What about your social life? Do you even have one?"_

_"Contrary to popular belief, I did have more friends than just Lucas in high school," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes._

_"Sure," Nathan hummed, shrugging slightly._

_"Brooke doesn't go to Stanford, but I spend quite a bit of time with her and her boyfriend, Julian. And then I do have some other friends that I spend time with. Maybe if you're lucky I'll let you meet them," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders._

_"What does your boyfriend think about them?" Nathan asked, not very slyly, smiling at her with raised eyebrows._

_"Don't have one," She told him, resting her elbow on the table, planting her chin in her palm. "I did for a little while, but he just... Wasn't the guy for me," She hummed, clearing her throat. "What about you? Leave anyone at home?"_

_"Nope," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm coming into the solo. No strings attached back at home."_

_"Hm," She said, biting her lip._

_"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her._

_"Nothing," She hummed, taking a French fry off his plate. "It's just nice to know."_

_Nathan felt his mouth run dry at her words. Was she happy he didn't have a girlfriend?_

_The rest of dinner had been really, really fun. He remembered why he was in love with her in the first place. She made him feel carefree._

_When he stepped up to her apartment door, he smiled down at her._

_"You know, I'm going to need a really good tutor, so I don't think you've seen the last of me," He told her, smirking slightly._

_"Well, I hope that's not all you'll need me for," She hummed, resting her hand on his chest briefly, pushing the door open. "Goodnight, Nathan."_

_"Goodnight, Hales," He said, waving at her. When he walked back to his car that night, there was definitely an extra skip in his step._

Their relationship had escalated quickly. Maybe it's because Lucas wasn't around, maybe it's because she finally saw him as something more than Luke's younger brother. They were both in college now.

He'd needed her for tutoring right off the bat, and she'd been more than happy to oblige. She did have a job though, besides tutoring, so sometimes he would have to come at ten o'clock at night, not that he was complaining at all.

He was still in love with her. He'd never lost that. And as the first month passed by, he was almost positive that she had feelings for him.

They had been cramming hard for a test that he had the next day when everything changed for them.

_Nathan looked at the clock, rubbing his eyes and sighing. It was nearly one in the morning. Haley was still wide awake somehow. Sitting next to him on her bed, pointing out various things in the book._

_He couldn't even focus on the material anymore. All he could do was look at her. He found himself doing it more frequently lately._

_She'd noticed, of course she had._

_But tonight, there was something different in the room. The air had changed about a half hour ago when she'd put her hand on his arm to get his attention._

_"Nathan, are you even listening?" She asked him, laughing._

_"No," He said quickly, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not."_

_"So blunt about it, hm?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows._

_"I'm in love with you," He blurted out, rubbing his neck._

_"What?" She asked him, blinking her eyes in surprise._

_"I'm in love with you, Haley," He repeated, shaking his head. "And it's not the sleep deprived version of me that's doing the talking. I'm in love with you."_

_"I know," She said, clearing her throat. "I've, um, I've always known."_

_"You have?" He asked her, frowning slightly._

_"Yeah," She said, offering him a smile._

_"Oh," He said, leaning back against the wall, staring at the wall across from them._

_Before he knew was what happening, Haley had tossed the book out of his lap, grabbing his face and pulling him in for the kiss he'd been waiting his whole life for._

_They kissed for hours, sometimes it was more of a make out, others it was just gentle, quick kisses._

_He was kissing Haley James. Holy shit. He'd told Haley James how he felt about her, and she kissed him. She kissed him hard, for hours._

_Eventually, as 5 a.m. rolled around, they had laid down on her twin bed, Haley cuddled up into Nathan's side._

_"This isn't going to change, is it?" He asked her quietly._

_Haley smiled up at him, kissing him again. "Do you think I could give up on a kiss that good?"_

_"Most definitely not," Nathan laughed, rubbing his hand over her arm._

_"What do you say we sleep for two hours, then study for your test for two hours?" She suggested, raising her eyebrows._

_"Deal," He mumbled, already feeling his eyelids start to get heavy._

_"If you get an 80 or higher on your test, I'll take you to dinner. If you get lower, you have to take me to dinner," She said, rubbing her hand up and down his torso._

_"Another solid plan," He laughed, kissing her one more time, before he pretty much passed out.'_

_He'd gotten a 79 on that test. Which was still a pretty great grade considering he was a sleep deprived, love drunk the whole day._

They'd continued to escalate quickly after that. They were official. Even told people back home. No one was surprised, except Lucas, of course.

They went on double dates with Brooke and Julian, and made friends with other couples.

It had been amazing. But two months into dating, two things had yet to happen. Haley had not told Nathan that she'd loved him, and they hadn't quite crossed over from making out and some heavy over the clothes petting to full on sex.

Nathan was more than happy with what was going on. It was a little discouraging that Haley had not to him she loved him, but he wasn't going to pressure her. And the sex thing... Well he'd always known that she was waiting for the right guy, and she told him point blank that she was still a virgin. And he didn't want to pressure her there either.

When she finally did say it... They crossed both those lines.

_Nathan had showed up to his own apartment after a particularly rough day in class, and then the day continued into basketball practice. He ached from head to toe, and he's actually been avoiding Haley's phone calls because he was in that bad of a mood._

_Thankfully, his roommates were both gone for the weekend and it was Friday night. He opened up the fridge, grabbing a carton of orange juice out of it and drinking straight from it._

_It was one of the few things that Haley put in his fridge, claiming they had joint custody over it so he wasn't allowed to do what he'd just done._

_Then he'd rebutted with the fact that they play tonsil hockey, so it didn't matter. And then he'd proceeded to show her how much it didn't matter._

_He laughed at the thought. He really loved his girlfriend._

_His girlfriend. Wow. He was so lucky to have her. Why had he been such a jerk that day?_

_He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket, trying to call her but it went straight to voicemail._

_Probably dead. He was always nagging to her to charge her phone, because why would anyone let the battery get to zero before plugging it in?_

_He sighed softly, rubbing his neck and setting the carton back in the fridge._

_He walked down the hall to his bedroom, raising his eyebrows when he opened the door._

_"Hales?" He asked, looking around the candlelit room. "You know, we're really not supposed to light candles in here," He joked._

_"I love you, Nathan," Haley told him, a big smile forming on her face. "I'm in love with you."_

_He grinned, tossing his gym bag into the hall, stepping over to her quickly and kissing her._

_"I love you too," He said quickly, nodding at her._

_"I want you, Nathan. All of you. And I want you to have all of me," Haley said quickly, picking up his hand and resting it on her heart._

_"Are you sure?" He asked her quietly, raising his eyebrows._

_"I've never been so sure, baby. You're the one for me," She said softly, taking a small step closer to him._

_He leaned down and kissed her quickly, easily guiding her over to the bed._

Nathan couldn't help but smile at the memory. Haley James had been his whole world. And boy had she loved the new discovery she'd made with him. She pounced on him every chance she got. He'd been so glad his roommates weren't home.

This was a train he rarely let himself get on. He tried so hard to never think about her. But he'd never found someone to love the way he loved her.

Their first real fight was over something so stupid. He still cringed at the thought. It was over a board game. It was one of the few times Lucas had visited him in California. Actually, it was more of a them now.

_They were at Haley's apartment, Brooke staying with Julian for the weekend. They'd been playing monopoly with Lucas._

_Haley had broken the ultimate monopoly rule as the banker, and slid Lucas some money under the table when he was almost out._

_Nathan noticed Lucas' bills had increased, but he was never the best student so he dismissed it as he had done the math wrong. Until all of the sudden Lucas had more money than him._

_There were way more exciting things to do than play monopoly—which is pretty much the longest, most irritating game to play._

_When Lucas bought one of his squares, Nathan lost it._

_Deep down he knew it was because he was slightly jealous that Lucas and Haley were such close friends. Close enough that Haley would cheat for him, but he made it all about the game._

_He'd made a scene, literally shoving Lucas' pieces off the table, standing up and storming into Haley's room._

_Haley was hot on his heels, a look to kill on her face._

_"What the hell, Nathan?" She asked him, poking her finger into his chest._

_"No, what the hell to you, Haley?" He asked back, scowling at her. "Why are you cheating?"_

_"Oh my hell, Nathan! It's a game!" She said, rolling her eyes._

_"So what? You don't cheat at stuff, Haley! So why would you do that?" He snapped at her, throwing his hands up in the air. "This game is so damn long, and you made it longer by keeping him in the game. I was going to win!"_

_"It doesn't matter, Nathan. We were just having a good time. Can't you just chill out? Why is it always a competition with you and Lucas?" She snapped to him, rolling her eyes._

_"I was winning!" He argued, crossing his arms defensively. "I would have won if you hadn't kept him afloat. It's not a competition when I'm kicking his ass."_

_"You can be such a jerk sometimes," She said, rolling her eyes at him again._

_"Me? Why the hell do you jump on me being a jerk? He was egging me on. Hell, you were egging him on," He said, scowling at her._

_"Maybe you should just go," She said, pointing towards her bedroom door._

_"Maybe I will," He said, storming out of the room, walking right past Lucas, grumbling a quiet "Stay here with her" before he went out the front door._

It seemed so stupid now, and they'd made up fairly easily. He'd come over a day later with his tail between his legs, apologizing for being a jerk, and she'd apologized for upsetting him, and that was that.

Haley had been there for him when he'd decided during his sophomore year that even though he loved basketball, he wasn't sure that he wanted to pursue it past college. Which left him lost and irritated.

He'd had a new roommate move into his apartment a month later—Clay Evans.

She'd encouraged him to shift his focus towards Clay's degree and become a Sports Agent, which was the career he was in today.

This was all in his second year of school. His dreams had been changed, but he found something he had a true passion for, thanks to someone he had a true passion for.

They weren't a perfect couple. His temper could be quite the problem sometimes, and she had a little bit of a know-it-all attitude occasionally that made him feel stupid.

But they loved each other. Their love made them perfect for each other.

The downfall still haunted him to this day.

Haley had decided to continue on with her education and get her Master's degree.

They'd moved in together when her lease was up on her apartment, and it had been the greatest time of his life.

Haley had somehow introduced Clay to her sister, and the two of them had really hit it off. They were best man and maid of honor at the wedding not only six months later.

Brooke had started to make a name for herself in the fashion industry, and Julian was producing Indie films.

They had settled into a perfect routine.

And as soon as Haley found out what day she would be graduating with her Master's in Literature, Nathan called Jimmy and Lydia James.

He was 21 years old at the time.

_Nathan sat nervously on the phone, sitting down at the kitchen table, spinning the velvet box in his hands._

_"James residence," Lydia's voice answered._

_"Mrs. James, it's Nathan," He said, clearing his throat. "Nathan Scott."_

_He'd never really called the Mr. And Mrs before, so it was a bit odd._

_"Nathan!" Lydia said cheerfully. "Jimmy, Nathan's on the phone."_

_He could tell that he'd been put on speaker phone, letting out a deep breath._

_"Mr. James, hello," Nathan breathed out, suddenly feeling his throat get tight._

_"Please drop the formality," Lydia laughed into the phone._

_"Sorry," Nathan said, sighing softly._

_"What's wrong, Nate?" Jimmy asked him._

_"Nothing is wrong, sir. I'm actually... Perfect," He said, swallowing thickly. "The reason I'm calling is because, well... It's because I would really like to ask your daughter marry me."_

_It was quiet for a second, before Jimmy said something._

_"Taylor?"_

_Lydia laughed and smacked her husband._

_Nathan forced at laugh, shaking his head. "No, Haley."_

_"Absolutely," Jimmy said, humming softly. "I've never seen Haley happier than when she's with you, Nate. So please, ask her to marry you."_

_"Really?" Nathan felt himself relax, a grin forming on his face._

_"Of course, Nathan. We love you," Lydia added, smiling at his excitement._

_"Thank you so much. I'm going to ask her the night before she graduates. I'll send you a picture of the ring. Oh, thank you so much," Nathan told them quickly, smiling brightly._

_"We can't wait," Lydia hummed. "That way we'll get to see her right after."_

_"Oh, I think she's home, I have to go!" Nathan said quickly, darting into their bedroom and hiding the ring quickly in his gym bag._

He felt himself start to get angry at them memories that were flooding him, his eyes looking down at Haley's Instagram again. He'd somehow requested to follow her without even realizing it.

He locked his phone, hurrying to the locker room and grabbing his bag, before he was heading out of the gym, to his car, the cool night overwhelming him.

The whole drive home he tried to suppress thoughts of her.

But one memory kept replaying.

_Nathan listened as she talked about her day while they were at dinner, a small smile on his face, but he wasn't too focused on what she said._

_He kept glancing at his watch, sucking in a slow, deep breath. She was eating so slowly._

_She was unusually talkative too. She always talked to him, but she was talking more than she usually did. Like there was never a silence._

_When she'd finished eating, he'd paid for dinner, feeling his heart pound in his chest._

_"You didn't have to take me to dinner tonight, Nathan. We're going tomorrow," She told him, her hand finding his on the walk to the car._

_"With your whole family. I want to celebrate, just the two of us," He said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. He pulled open the car door for her, letting out a deep breath._

_"Very true. We can celebrate as loud as we want to tonight," She said, grabbing onto his hand when he got into the car._

_"You read my mind," He smirked at her, leaning over and kissing her briefly. "I'm so proud of you."_

_"I'm so proud of you too, Nathan," She told him, squeezing his hand._

_He sent a crooked smile her way, before feeling his nerves start to get high as he started the car._

_He felt like he was floating as he drove to the spot. The spot they'd tell their kids about, and their grandchildren. They'd recount this story for years to come, so it had to be perfect._

_"Where are we going?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows as he turned the opposite way of their apartment._

_"You'll see," He said, clearing his throat, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles._

_It was about a thirty minute drive when he pulled up to the secluded cove they'd stumbled upon one day. It had been the perfect place to study, or to get away from anyone else, or to have alone time, just the two of them. And this was the spot they'd get engaged. It was perfect._

_Candles lined the path. He'd never been a particularly romantic guy, but with a little help from Brooke Davis, anything was possible._

_He walked around the car quickly, pulling open the door and helping Haley out._

_He lead her along the path, letting out a slow, deep breath._

_"This is awfully romantic of you, Nathan Scott," Haley informed him, squeezing his bicep lightly as he led her along._

_"Just wait," He told her, smirking slightly when they got to the center, candles surrounding them and illuminating the night._

_He could see her eyebrows raise as she looked around, before looking up at him._

_She looked so beautiful. The candlelight lit her face perfectly._

_He couldn't help but lean down and kiss her before he began._

_Something had been a little bit different in this kiss, which he'd brushed off, but she'd grabbed him and kissed him hard and long._

_When he finally broke away, she tried to pull him back in, but he said her name quietly, causing her attention to shift to his eyes._

_He slowly sank down to one knee, pulling the box out of his pocket, his other hand reaching up to grab hers._

_"Haley, I've had a crush on you since I was eight years old," He began, smiling up at her. "You were the first and only girl I've ever loved. I tried really hard to avoid thinking of you, but everything always came back to you," He said quietly, letting out a deep breath. "Even today, I still can't believe that you're mine. And I'm not good with words, as you know, but I'm in love with you. And I've been in love with you for a long time now." He informed her, his smile turning to a grin. "With that being said, Haley James, will you-"_

_"Nathan, wait," Haley said quickly._

_With those words, Nathan realized the tears flowing from her eyes weren't happy tears. They were sad tears._

_Haley pinched the bridge of her nose, pulling him up to his feet and keeping a tight grip on his hands. "I love you, Nathan, I really do."_

_"What are you doing, Haley?" He asked her quickly, a frantic tone to his voice._

_"I got a job offer, Nathan," She told him quietly. "In Arizona."_

_"What? When?" He asked her, clearing his throat, shoving the ring box into his pocket._

_"They called me today. Nathan... I have to take it," Haley said quietly, squeezing his hand._

_"I'll go with you," He said quickly, shaking his head. "I'll transfer schools."_

_"No," She said, clearing her throat and biting her lip, shifting slightly. "You need to finish up school here."_

_"No, Haley, I don't! I'll figure something else out... Please, don't do this," He begged her, holding her hand to his chest. "I need you."_

_"Nathan, I love you," She told him, stepping closer and kissing him briefly. "Do you love me?"_

_"So much, Haley," He said softly, staring down at her._

_"I have to go, Nathan," She told him firmly, brushing her hand over his cheek. "I love you, but it's what I have to do."_

_"You're saying no," He said slowly, clearing his throat and taking a step back from her._

_"I'm saying no," She confirmed, biting her lip and letting out a deep breath, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes._

_"I want to go with you, Haley," He said firmly, staring at her._

_"Nathan..." She said, stepping toward him again and brushing her hand through his hair. "You need to stay here, baby..."_

_"No I don't," He said, shaking his head. "I don't care about California. I came here to be with you, Haley."_

_"You've based your future around me, Nathan, and I don't want to stunt your potential by moving somewhere else. Stanford is an amazing school," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Please, Nathan."_

_"You're asking me not to fight for you, Haley! Not to fight for us?" He was getting angry now. Some of it was because of her, most of it was because of the situation._

_"Yes," She said, biting her lip. "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, Nathan, but it's what needs to be done. Maybe in a year when you graduate, we can see where we are..."_

_"That's bullshit. You're pulling a coward move, Haley," He snapped, glaring at her._

_"Hey," She said, stepping closer to him. She pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, you know that. Have you ever doubted that?"_

_"No," He whispered, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes, feeling the first of many tears start to stream._

_"Then you have to understand how difficult this is for me," She said, holding him tightly. "Because I want nothing more than to say yes and move away with you. But we're young, Nathan. I need to do this."_

_"We can do long distance," He pleaded, looking down at her._

_She sent him a sad smile, standing on her toes and kissing him again. "I love you," She whispered._

_"I love you too," He mumbled back, rubbing at his eyes._

_Haley brushed one of his tears away, kissing him one more time. "I'm going to stay at Brooke's tonight, okay? I'll come and get my stuff tomorrow."_

_"You're graduating tomorrow," He told her quietly, staring down at her with blank eyes. "What do you want me to do?"_

_"Don't come, Nathan," She said, patting his chest lightly. "Stay home, please."_

_"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked her quickly, stepping away._

_"I'm doing this for you, Nathan! For me! You need to finish school, and I need to take this job offer. I can't do the long distance, not with you, but I can't pass up the opportunity," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Please, baby..."_

_"I don't understand. I'm offering to go with you but you're pushing me away," He said, shaking his head. "I'm not holding you back, and begging you to stay. I'm begging you to let me follow you."_

_"You followed me here, Nathan. Just give me one year, that's all I ask. In one year, you can move to Arizona and propose to me again and I'll say yes! But you need to stay here and finish school. Enjoy your senior year. Be the king of the school," She said, shrugging her shoulders._

_He stared at her, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You should call Brooke and have her come get you."_

_"I love you, Nathan. I know it might be hard to wrap your head around, but I truly believe this is the best option," She said softly._

_"When were you going to tell me?" He asked her, scowling._

_"I was going to make the decision with you, but when I saw you pull the box out of your pocket, I knew I couldn't string you along," She said softly, looking up at him._

_"I love you, Haley. I'm sorry," He said quietly, shifting his attention to the candles, when the wind picked up and some of them went out. "At least I won't have to blow them out."_

_"Don't apologize to me, Nathan. I'm the one who is sorry," She said quickly, grabbing his hand. "I love you."_

_"I know," He said softly, wiping his eyes again. "It just sucks."_

_"As soon as you graduate..."_

_"We'll see," He said quickly, clearing his throat._

_He saw the pain flash over her face at that comment, which was pretty ironic given the situation._

_"I'm going to call Brooke. You can go," She said softly, gesturing to the car. "I'll clean this up."_

_"Yeah, because you broke my heart and I'm going to abandon you in the middle of nowhere," He said sarcastically. "Save it, Haley. Just go wait in the car. I need to clean this up."_

_Haley sent him a somber look, squeezing his arm lightly, before heading towards the car._

Somehow, when he emerged from the painful memory, he found himself in the shower. He slammed his fist against the wall. He was so angry at the story. It hurt him down to his core to think about the pain she'd inflicted. He never reached out to her again. She never reached out to him after she moved either. He made sure he was gone when she picked up her stuff. Before she moved she tried to see him again. But he'd been so full of resentment towards her, and he knew if he saw her then he'd let it all go because he had a weak spot for her. So he shut her out completely. She still had two channels into his life though: Quinn and Lucas.

Lucas had begged him to go after her, telling Nathan that Haley was making a mistake, which he'd scoffed at that comment. Lucas never thought Haley did anything wrong, so he knew that her decision was the wrong one.

Quinn didn't try to push him one way or another, which was why she was so gracious.

It took Nathan almost two years to be able to even speak with anyone in her family besides Quinn, and even still, no one dared to bring her up.

He assumed it was the same for her. No one brought him up.

But maybe not. She'd always been more secure than he had.

Maybe she'd been okay.

He really didn't know.

The closest he'd heard about Haley was when Lucas got married. She'd actually flown to Tree Hill, but ended up with the flu on the day of the wedding.

Nathan had actually asked him that day, very casually where she was, and Lucas told him she'd been super sick.

Maybe it was true, maybe she was avoiding him. Knowing Haley, it was most definitely true.

But it's not like he would have spoken to her.

He glared at the shower wall in front of him, feeling the familiar ache in his heart.

She'd done a number on him.

Maybe she never loved him the way he thought.

He still didn't think that was it though.

She just thought she was doing what was best for him, and most of the time she was right, but this time she'd been so wrong.

So, so wrong.

He quickly shut the shower off, grabbing a towel and drying himself off before wrapping it around his waist.

He grabbed his phone off the bathroom counter, looking down at it and sighing.

'haleyjames accepted your follow request'

He shook his head, walking into his bedroom and getting dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt quickly, before laying down on his bed.

He looked down at his phone in his hands, unlocking it again and clicking on her Instagram handle.

Up brought photos of her.

He clicked on the newest one, posted five days ago. It a was a picture of her and Quinn coincidentally. He glanced over the caption.

Oh yeah... Quinn's birthday.

His eyes focused on her face, a smile forming on his lips. She looked so beautiful.

He went through her Instagram for a little while, admiring just about every photo of her, before he made a decision that if he didn't do now, he'd never do.

He searched her name in the direct message tab, sucking in a deep breath.

He began to type out a message, before deleting it quickly and beginning another message.

He just wanted the small talk... Why was it so difficult to find the correct words to say?

How did he make small talk with someone that absolutely destroyed him?

"Forget it," He grumbled out loud to himself, pushing a frustrated hand through his hair and tossing his phone on the bed next to him.

Not even ten seconds later, it lit up with a notification.

'haleyjames: Hi Nathan! It's Haley James, which I know you can already tell. It's been awhile... How have you been doing?'

His heart almost burst out of his chest when he saw the message, a small smile forming on his face.

Even after everything, Haley James still had a hold on him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I was absolutely blown away from the reviews of the last chapter. Thank you so much!**

**If you can't already tell, this is mostly going to be Nathan-centric. I don't think I'll be doing anything from Haley's perspective! I still have a few more chapters left in this. Thank you all so much for the reviews, they really mean the world to me.**

"Who are you texting?"

Nathan looked up from his phone at Clay's question, clearing his throat. "I'm not texting."

"Uh, you've been on your phone all morning and we're supposed to be having a meeting," Clay said, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"I'm texting Lucas," He said, shrugging slightly.

"About what?" Clay asked him, scooting his chair around his desk.

Nathan locked his phone, quickly setting it in his pocket. "Nothing. Let's meet."

"You aren't texting Lucas," Clay said quickly, reaching forward to grab Nathan's phone out of his pocket.

"Get away from me, man," Nathan said, shoving his hand away and standing up.

Clay raised his eyebrows. "Who are you talking to?"

"It doesn't matter," Nathan argued, stepping away when Clay took a step closer to him.

"It does matter. Is it a girl?" Clay asked, reaching his hand in Nathan's pocket again.

"Dude! This is weird," Nathan smacked Clay's hand again, pulling his phone out of his pocket and holding it high.

"Let me see!" Clay said, grabbing Nathan's arm and attempting to pull it down.

Nathan shook his head, "Back off, Clay!" He said, his voice cracking.

Clay stopped, staring at him with raised eyebrows. "You're hiding something. Are you talking to a girl?"

"Why do you care?" He asked simply, shrugging.

Clay lunged for the phone again, Nathan turning and boxing him out.

Clay jumped on his back, reaching forward to try and grab Nathan's phone.

Nathan stumbled forward a bit, scowling. "Clay, what the hell man?"

"I really want to know! You don't hide things from me," Clay said, reaching further, grabbing his wrist.

Nathan flipped Clay onto the couch in his office, shaking his head. "Because it's nothing, Clay!"

Clay was ready for Nathan's next move and tackled him by his legs.

"You're kidding me!" Nathan groaned, shoving Clay lightly. "Get off me, man! You're crazy."

"If you have a girlfriend you better tell me now, because if I find out by stalking your phone, I'm going to be heartbroken," Clay joked, forcing Nathan's hands against the ground, grabbing his phone out of his palms.

"Clay, stop!" Nathan said quickly, shaking his head.

Clay looked at Nathan's phone, shrugging his shoulders. "Instagram? Slid into someone's DMs? You dog!"

"Clay..." Nathan trailed off, laying his head back across the ground, letting out a defeated sigh.

Clay aimed the camera towards Nathan's face so that it would unlock and he could read the notification.

When he turned it back around to him, Nathan watched his eyes go wide.

"Clay..." Nathan trailed off.

Clay jumped up off of Nathan, taking a step back. "You're talking to Haley?" He asked him slowly.

"Clay, please, don't make it a big deal," Nathan said, getting up to his feet.

"You're kidding me, right?" Clay asked, pushing Nathan's shoulder lightly before shoving his phone into his chest. "You're talking to Haley."

"It's nothing... We're just catching up. It's been a long time," Nathan said quietly, shifting slightly.

"Yeah, I know," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I have to tell Quinn."

"What? Why?" Nathan asked quickly, raising his eyebrows. "You don't have to tell anyone."

"What do you mean? You're talking to Haley!" Clay said, pulling his own phone out of his pocket.

"Just since last night," Nathan said, rubbing his neck.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's been almost six years," Nathan grumbled, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, but if I would have said her name last week, you would have stormed out of the room," Clay laughed, sitting down at his chair again, pushing it back behind his desk.

"No," Nathan argued, knowing full well that it was absolutely true.

"I love Haley, but watch out for yourself, Nathan. You'll fall for her quick," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll keep this to myself until you know what to do with it."

"Thank you," Nathan said, tugging on the collar of his shirt, glancing down when he received another notification.

"She double messaged you?" Clay asked, resting his elbows on his desk, putting his chin on his hands.

"No," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Contrary to popular belief, I do know other people besides you and my ex I haven't talked to in six years."

"Until last night," Clay reminded him, shrugging. "Don't tell me you're talking to Carrie again too?"

"Hell no," Nathan chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "Not after I broke up with her and she promised she was going to steal my first born child. Rumplestiltskin type shit."

"Not sure who was crazier, Carrie for that, or Haley for letting a catch like you go," Clay said, winking at him.

"Sticking your hands in my pockets, now you're flirting with me? Aren't you a married man, Clayton?" Nathan laughed, sitting down across from him again.

"I'd give her up for you, Nate," Clay joked, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. "What have you been talking about?"

"Nothing," Nathan answered, shaking his head.

"How long have you been talking?" Clay asked, looking at him expectantly.

"We talked a little last night but she had to work today so she went to sleep," Nathan informed him, clearing his throat.

"And who started the conversation this morning?" Clay interrogated, his gaze flicking to the phone.

"She did," Nathan said, putting his feet up on Clay's desk.

"And how did you start talking last night?" Clay questioned, pushing Nathan's feet off.

"We followed each other on Instagram and she messaged me," Nathan told him, tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Can we move on to our actual meeting?"

"Three more questions," Clay said, holding up three fingers.

"Go ahead."

"One. Who else knows?"

"No one."

"Not even Lucas?" Clay asked, raised eyebrows.

"I didn't tell him. Maybe she did but I doubt they talk that often," Nathan said, shrugging.

"Okay. Two. Can you promise to pay attention during our meeting? No texting?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent," Clay nodded, sitting up straight and clearing his throat.

"And your third question?" Nathan asked, rubbing his neck.

Clay looked at him, hesitating to ask, before letting out a sigh.

"Did she tell you that she's coming to visit next week? For the first time since we moved here?"

Nathan looked at Clay, his posture stiffening.

"She's coming here? I thought you guys always just met up in Tree Hill..." He said quickly.

"Quinn is eight months pregnant, Nathan. She doesn't want to make a three and a half hour drive," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I wasn't going tell you until the week of, but you might as well know now."

"She's coming here," Nathan repeated back to him slowly, feeling his heart start to pound in his chest. "I can't see her."

"She's going to want to see you," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's been six years, Nathan."

"I can't see her, Clay. I'll fall for her before she even gets one word out," Nathan whispered, letting out a deep breath. "And she'll just leave again."

"Nathan, I really want you to be godfather to our baby, but Haley is the godmother," Clay told him, shaking his head. "You're my best friend, but Haley being godmother is a dependent variable. It won't change."

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, looking at Clay with wide eyes. "I get it, yeah. I mean... I'd be honored, but..."

"But nothing, Nathan. You have to see her. It's Haley. I'm sure she has a lot to say to you," Clay said, blowing out a deep breath. "Please Nathan, meet me halfway here. I really, really want you to be godfather. Quinn and I have been holding off telling you because of this. But now that you and Haley might be building a friendship-"

"I've been talking to her for less than twelve hours," Nathan said, his voice cracking.

"You're my best friend, Nate. I really don't want to choose anyone besides you," Clay said simply, nodding at him.

"I'll stay here. But just promise me you won't trick me into anything and promise me you won't leave us alone together unless I give you the nod of approval," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"Done and done. We'll probably bring her here and show her around," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll fall in love with her again, Clay. She could spit in my food and kick me where it hurts and I'll thank her for it," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"I know, buddy," Clay said, offering him a comforting smile. "But I've got your back. I think the healthy option would be to talk to her though. It has been six years."

"Who was your first heartbreak?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Melinda Lane," Clay said, an eye roll accompanying it.

"Exactly. You don't just forget," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "I spent more than half of my life chasing her. And I never told her how I felt until I was eighteen years old. That was ten years between the time I met her and the time I told her how I felt. I don't do things the healthy way."

"Like I said, I've got your back," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is she dating anyone?" Nathan asked him, clearing his throat.

"She dated a guy for about two years, but they've been broken up for a year now. I don't think she's been seeing anyone since," Clay said, nodding at him. "Not that it matters, because you're not going to fall in love with her again."

"Right," Nathan said, nodding at him. "It's just easier if she's not dating anyone, since I'm not dating anyone."

"I get it," Clay said, offering him a small smile. "Let's get back to our meeting, yeah? No responding until we're done."

Nathan nodded, letting out a deep breath and sighing. "Yeah, let's do that."

xxxx

'nathanscott: I heard that you're coming into town next week...'

'haleyjames: Yep! I really wanted to come visit Quinn before she has the baby. I haven't seen her since the beginning.'

'haleyjames: I was going to tell you, but I'm guessing Clay already did?'

Nathan typed for a moment, letting out a deep breath, his thumbs coming to a stop.

'nathanscott: Yeah'

It took her a little while to respond, Nathan leaning back against the couch and flicking on his TV, sighing softly.

'haleyjames: I hope it's alright that I'm coming.'

He looked down, swallowing thickly.

'nathanscott: I don't own the city of Charlotte, Haley. Haha, you can do anything you want.'

Maybe throwing a 'haha' in there would make him seem less nervous about the whole thing.

It took her quite awhile to answer that one. Long enough that he was beginning to be worried she wouldn't answer.

'haleyjames: Right...'

'haleyjames: It's been a long time so I figured it would be okay.'

'nathanscott: Yeah. What day do you get in?'

'haleyjames: Wednesday morning.'

Nathan quickly pulled up the calendar on his phone, looking at his schedule for next week.

Awesome. He'd be out of town until Thursday evening.

'nathanscott: How long are you staying?'

'haleyjames: About eleven days. I'm leaving Sunday morning.'

'haleyjames: I'd like to see you, Nathan.'

Nathan blew out a deep breath, tossing his phone to the side. That was a good place to stop for a little while.

He stood up, walking out of his living room into the kitchen, pulling open the refrigerator door and sighing softly.

How could he let go of all the anger he held against her? Clearly he still wanted to speak to her before he responded without hesitation. But when their breakup flashed through his mind, he felt his blood boil.

If he heard any explanation from her besides that she was wrong, he'd lose it on her.

He'd never had the chance to lose it on her, so maybe he deserved that.

He wouldn't. He knew himself and he could scream at everyone how angry he was at her, except for her.

He sucked in a deep breath, pulling leftover pizza out of the fridge and setting it on a plate, deciding to just eat it cold.

He took his own sweet time, trying to focus his thoughts on something besides Haley James.

He left his phone on the couch for a little while, going down the hall to his bedroom and taking a long shower, trying to ease the newfound tension from his body.

When that didn't work, he sat back down on the couch, his eyes narrowing on his phone.

Dammit, Haley.

He picked up the phone once again, sighing. Had it really only been 18 minutes since she messaged him?

He began to type out a message.

'nathanscott: I do have some traveling to do, but I'm sure we can make time for something.'

It took her less than a minute to answer.

'haleyjames: I hope we can.'

xxxx

Nathan walked into Fortitude the following Friday, quickly pushing the up button on the elevator.

He'd gotten in a little bit later than he planned last night, so he was running late the morning.

He pushed the button to take him to the third floor, where his and Clay's offices were located. He adjusted the strap of his laptop case on his shoulder, letting out a deep breath.

Work was just what he needed to distract him from Haley's arrival on Wednesday. They'd talked pretty frequently until Tuesday morning, and then he'd gotten on a plane to go to Texas and had not really had the time to talk to her.

He tapped his foot impatiently, tugging on his tie lightly. It felt like it was suffocating him today.

Why he'd chose to wear a suit today, he wasn't sure. He usually dressed more casual than this, especially on a Friday. But this morning the navy suit had been calling his name.

Whatever, he'd loosen up in his office.

When he stepped off the elevator, he froze in his steps.

That laugh.

Oh shit.

He quickly turned around to head back onto the elevator.

"Nathan?" Clay called out from behind him, walking out of the conference room across from their offices, carrying two water bottles, a surprised tone in his voice.

Nathan whipped around quickly, looking at Clay with wide eyes.

"I thought you were coming back tonight," Clay said slowly, clearing his throat.

"Nope, I got back in last night," Nathan said quickly, sending Clay a pleading look.

Clay's eyes shot over to his open office door where his wife and sister and law were talking and laughing.

"Clay, who are you talking to?" Quinn asked, stepping outside of the office, raising her eyebrows. "Oh."

Haley stepped out after Quinn, her eyes immediately meeting Nathan's.

"Nathan," She said, a small smile forming on her face.

"Haley, hi," Nathan said slowly, his facial expression softening as he saw her.

Haley stepped past Clay and Quinn until she was only a few feet from him.

Nathan felt the air leave his lungs as she got closer. A dopey smile forming on his face.

Yeah, he was screwed.

It only took a step for Nathan to close the distance between them, meeting her in a slightly awkward hug.

"Clay said you'd be back in town tonight," Haley said quietly when they parted, looking up at him.

"He doesn't listen," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nathan," Clay interrupted. "Why are you here?"

"I had some work I needed to finish up," Nathan answered without taking his eyes off Haley.

She looked stunning. Her blonde hair was cut to her shoulders and worn with her natural curl rather than curled with an iron.

She hadn't aged a day. She still looked like his Haley.

He was glad he wore the suit today, because Haley could never resist when he wore a suit. She loved to play with his tie.

Wait- that didn't matter.

He needed to kick that thought from his head.

"Why don't you go get settled into your office then?" Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "And then you can come join us."

"Right, of course," Nathan said, finally looking at Clay. "Yeah, I'll just... Go into my office," He said, pointing to the door that was marked with his name.

"An office. Very official," Haley commented, a smile forming on her face.

"You better believe it," Nathan chuckled, pulling his keys out of his pocket, stepping to the door and looking at Haley, fumbling with the keys loudly until he found one that fit in the handle.

He unlocked the door quickly, looking over at Clay. "Yeah, I'll join you in a minute. I just need to get settled and send some paperwork down to Texas."

"See you soon," Haley said, nodding at him.

Nathan cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'll see you soon."

He stepped into his office, closing the door behind him. He was thankful that he'd decided to close the blinds before he left on his trip, because that meant they couldn't see him.

He set his bag on the ground quickly, taking a seat at his desk. Okay, Nathan. Get work done.

He couldn't actually go join them, could he? He clearly still had an attraction to Haley, and wasn't sure if he'd be able to turn off the charm.

Clay opened the door a second later, closing it and letting out a deep breath. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Clay. You thought I'd be home later and you were just showing her around," Nathan said, swallowing thickly.

"We're just about to go anyways," Clay said, shrugging slightly.

"It doesn't matter to me either way," Nathan said quietly, focusing on his computer.

"Well then you should join us," Clay said slowly, tapping his hands on his legs. "But maybe you should loosen up. Lose the suit. You look too handsome in the suit."

Nathan chuckled quietly, tugging on his tie until it came loose, pulling his jacket off and undoing the top two buttons of his shirt. "Good enough?"

"Perfect," Clay said, raising his eyebrows. "Now do you want me to ask you any questions about the girls you met on your trip?"

"I didn't meet any," Nathan grumbled, pulling up the documents he needed to email.

"But do you want to make up a story right now?" Clay asked, clearing his throat.

Nathan looked at him, shaking his head. "I don't want to play games."

"Good answer," Clay said, holding up a thumbs up. "Come into my office when you're ready."

Nathan sent the email quickly, pulling a rubber basketball out of one of the drawers in his desk, tossing it at the wall casually, letting out a deep breath.

He could do this.

He stood up after a moment, rolling up his shirt sleeves to just below his elbows. He stepped forward, pulling the door open quickly, taking a few steps to his right to the entry way of Clay's office.

"Hey," Nathan said, rubbing his neck lightly.

"Nathan, we were just trying to decide where to go to lunch," Quinn said, gesturing to her, Clay, and Haley.

"Oh, well don't let me intrude," Nathan said politely, leaning against the door frame.

"You wouldn't be," Haley said quickly, offering him a smile.

"Not at all," Quinn said, gesturing to the seat on the couch next to her.

Nathan sat down slowly, sending a small smile in Quinn's direction. "Hi."

"Hey," Quinn said, rubbing Nathan's back lightly. "How was Texas?"

"Really great," Nathan said, nodding at her. "I like traveling, you know that."

"Of course I do. My house is way quieter when you're gone though," Quinn laughed, smiling over at Clay.

"This building is incredible," Haley added, gesturing around.

"Yeah, well it started out small and shitty," Nathan laughed, shrugging.

"Hey! It had character," Clay laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but I like the salary that we have with this place much more. Not to mention I like not sharing an office with you," Nathan teased Clay, leaning back against the couch.

He met Haley's eyes again, feeling himself easily get lost in them.

She was so beautiful. She had just a presence to her now. She carried herself so confidently.

Confidence was sexy.

Get a grip, Nathan.

Nathan tore his eyes from hers at the sound of Clay's voice.

"I was thinking of taking Haley to the place we go to lunch when we're arguing about a decision," Clay said, raising his eyebrows.

"Are we about to fight?" Nathan asked him, laughing quietly.

"You know I'm always ready to fight with you, Nathan," Clay joked, standing up.

"He just likes to make up," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"They have really great mac and cheese there," Nathan said softly, smiling over at Haley.

"That's all it takes for a restaurant to be great," Haley laughed, standing up.

Nathan stood up, grabbing onto Quinn's hands and pulling her up to her feet.

"Thank you," Quinn said, looking up at Nathan with raised eyebrows.

"No problem," Nathan said, letting out a nervous breath.

Quinn sent him the most comforting look he thinks he's ever received from her.

"Haley, have they told you that the baby like me the most?" Nathan asked, looking over at his old flame, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, don't you start with this again," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath.

"Really?" Haley asked, looking at Clay, who was now standing in the doorway.

"It's true," Clay said, rolling his eyes. "The baby goes wild for Nathan."

"Most women do," Quinn said, rolling her eyes and rubbing her stomach.

"So creepy," Clay grumbled, shaking his head. "Plus, we don't know if it's a girl."

"Yeah, all kids just really like me. We don't need to specify whether or not it's a girl or boy," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I think it's a boy," Haley said, humming softly.

"He or she thinks I'm the greatest," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "If I use the right tone, I can't get him bouncing off the walls."

"Oh yeah?" Haley questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Nathan laughed, smirking at the annoyed sigh that came from Quinn.

"It's true. This baby thinks Nathan is the greatest," Quinn grumbled, "Let's just go before I change my mind about Nathan coming to lunch."

"Did you ever think that maybe it's because I am the greatest?" Nathan asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Back me up, Hales."

He didn't even realize he'd called her by her nickname.

"It's true," Haley said, shrugging slightly. "As long as I've known Nathan, he's had a crowd of people following him. Everyone liked him in high school except for Peyton. And Lucas for a little while."

"Wait, wasn't Peyton your girlfriend?" Quinn laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"Yep," Nathan said, shrugging. "I was a dick to her."

"Let's go, guys. I'm starving," Clay said, gesturing for them to walk out the door.

"I'm going to go ahead and drive myself, I have to come back to work," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "So I'll meet you there."

"I can come with you?" Clay offered, raising his eyebrows.

"That's okay," He said, stepping to the doorway of his office, tapping on the metal that lined it lightly.

"Okay, we'll see you there then," Quinn said slowly, looking over at Clay briefly.

"Yeah," Nathan said, rubbing his neck lightly, easily stepping back into his office and closing the door.

He ran his hand through his hair, listening when he heard the elevator doors open. He sat down in his desk chair, folding his hands behind his head.

What the hell was he doing?

Why could he just drop everything and follow Haley around like a lost puppy within ten minutes of seeing her again?

It had been six years. Did he even have a right to still be upset with her?

He felt like he did. He felt like he should be more angry that he was. He should be more hesitant and skip out on lunch with them.

When he saw her... His heart stopped. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked.

And their hug might have been a little awkward, but he'd melted into it.

Damn Haley James.

It wasn't fair. He wanted to tell her all the resentment he'd felt for her. He wanted to make her feel bad.

But he didn't feel that anger and resentment right now.

He stood up, picking up his suit coat once again, sliding it over his shoulders. He quickly tied his tie around his neck, shaking his head to snap himself out of the trance he'd been in.

"Okay, Nathan. You've got this," He told himself out loud, running a hand through his hair.

He walked out of his office, opting to take the stairs to lengthen the time between his office to his car.

The drive to the restaurant had been quiet. Well, the radio had been playing but he'd been too inside his own head to listen.

When he arrived, he unbuckled his seatbelt and wiped his hands on his pants, letting out a deep breath.

He got out of the car slowly, heading into the restaurant.

He saw them, sighing softly. Clay and Quinn were sitting across from Haley.

He'd somehow hoped that Clay had thought this far ahead and opted to let Quinn sit by Haley.

He stepped into the seating area, nodding at the waitress he passed, letting her know he was joining his table.

"Hey, you made it," Clay said, nodding when Nathan approached the table.

"This is where we argue, and I have some things to say," Nathan joked, casually taking a seat next to Haley.

At least he hoped it looked casual.

He swallowed thickly when he felt his arm touch hers, glancing over at her, before subtly scooting the other way.

"Oh, by all means," Clay said, gesturing to Nathan.

"Well to start, I think if you have a boy he should be named Nathan-"

"No," Quinn answered, shaking her head.

"You didn't even listen to my reasons," Nathan pouted, looking at her.

"Don't look at me with those baby blues. I'm immune," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"Now what a minute, Quinn. Let's hear the reasons," Haley laughed, looking over at Nathan.

"Reason one. He'd have a great namesake," Nathan said, nodding his head.

"Hm. Okay, true. Tell me more," Clay said, gesturing for Nathan to continue.

"Two. I'm going to love him the most," Nathan said, leaning back and shrugging.

"Argument. I'm actually going to love him this most," Haley said, holding up her finger and raising her eyebrows.

"You have like forty nieces and nephews. What makes this one so special?" Nathan asked her, laughing.

"Same question to you," Haley said back, shaking her head.

"I have one niece and one nephew," Nathan said, shrugging. "Plus, Lucas is just okay. Have you met Clay? He's a legend."

"I'm sold. Nathan it is," Clay laughed, shaking his head.

"You three," Quinn groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Quinn usually finds this funny," Nathan informed Haley. "I think the final months of her pregnancy are getting to the funny parts of her brain."

"Nathan, I'll stab you with my fork," Quinn grumbled, glaring at him.

"Hey crazy," Clay said, resting his hand on Quinn's shoulder, offering her a smile.

"Sorry," Quinn said, sighing softly and shaking her head.

Nathan laughed, feeling his knee bump against Haley's under the table.

Why did he have to be so tall?

"Nathan, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you come in. What can I get you to drink today?"

A waitress asked as she approached the table.

"I'll just have water today, Hannah," Nathan said, offering her a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Can't say that I've ever seen you two bring other people here," Hannah responded, nodding to Haley and Quinn.

"Ah, yes. Hannah, this is my wife Quinn and her sister Haley," Clay said, humming softly.

"We decided to share this place for once," Nathan laughed, shrugging.

"I'm hoping that means you two will keep it down," Hannah said, sending Nathan a pointed look.

"Of course," He said sheepishly.

"Just your regulars today?" She asked, looking at them.

"I'm actually going to go with the house salad," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Yes," Clay answered, nodding at her.

"And for you two?" Hannah hummed, shifting her eyes from Quinn to Haley.

"I'll have whatever he's having," Quinn said, tilting her head to Clay.

"I'll have the Mac and cheese," Haley hummed, handing her many over.

Nathan smiled slightly at her answer. Totally expected, of course.

"Okay, I'll be right back with that water," She said, stepping away from the table.

"You two really are regulars, huh? I had no idea you two disagreed so often," Quinn said, looking at Nathan then at Clay.

"Nathan can be pretty difficult to get along with. He doesn't say much, but his silences do," Clay said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut up, Clay," Nathan grumbled, leaning back.

"Hannah has played mediator more than a few times," Clay said, shaking his head. "She hates when we come in."

"She does not," Nathan argued, rolling his eyes.

"As someone who has worked as a waitress, she probably dreads seeing you two walk through the door, but also finds it mildly entertaining," Haley said, shaking her head and smiling.

"There you go," Nathan said, gesturing to Haley. "She set the record straight."

Quinn yawned, rubbing her hand down her face. "I am so tired."

"I'm sorry," Clay said, glancing at Nathan and shrugging slightly.

Nathan mouthed 'put your arm around her' to Clay, who raised his eyebrows.

'What?' Clay mouthed back, shaking his head.

'Put your arm around her' Nathan tried again.

'What?' Clay asked again, shrugging.

Nathan sighed, beginning to put his arm around Haley without thinking to show him, mouthing it again.

'Oh' Clay mouthed back, doing as Nathan said and putting his arm around Quinn.

"You two idiots know that I saw that whole exchange, right?" Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "I'm pregnant, not blind. And sitting right across from Nathan."

Nathan cleared his throat, shrugging slightly. He looked up when a water was set in front of him, offering Hannah a small smile, before she was hurrying away again.

He took a long drink of his water, suddenly kicking himself for almost putting his arm around Haley. Should he apologize? It was kind of late to do that, so he was just going to leave it.

When their food arrived, the conversation went to more of a casual talk. Clay and Quinn asked Haley questions, and Nathan would occasionally ask a follow up question based on her answer.

But really, it had only been a few months since they'd seen her, so they didn't have many questions for her.

Nathan had thousands it seemed, but it only asked a handful of them.

It was all fine, until Quinn got up to use the restroom, and not a minute later, Clay received an important phone call.

Leaving the two of them at the table, side by side.

"So, uh, how's Scottsdale?" Nathan asked, pushing his salad around with his fork.

"It's nice around this time of year, but it gets really warm during the summer," Haley told him, clearing her throat and looking at him.

"Yeah, I'm in Phoenix every once and awhile. It gets so hot there," He chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"It gets pretty warm here too though," Haley said, gesturing out the window they were sitting by.

"Yeah, it does," Nathan agreed, glancing over at her, before looking down at his plate. "Did you like your food?"

"Of course," She laughed, nudging him lightly with her elbow. "I love almost all Mac and cheese."

Nathan smiled slightly, nodding his head.

She was being so easy going about everything. He actually felt so uptight compared to her.

He wanted to relax and be with her without talking about the weather.

"That will never change, I'm sure. Not very often do people keep their favorite food the same their whole life," Nathan chuckled, looking at her and rolling his eyes.

"The trick is to not order it every single place you go," Haley said, shaking her head. "Branch out, try new things, but always come back to what you love the most."

Nathan almost choked on his water at her words. Could there have been a double meaning there?

Surely it was in his head. There was no way she still loved him after six years. He was such a different person. He definitely wasn't in love with her right now.

Sure, the feelings were still there. But there was no way there was a double-meaning behind her restaurant ordering analogy.

"That's good advice," Nathan hummed, leaning back in his seat and letting out a deep breath.

"So you really like to travel?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I do," Nathan said, nodding his head. "I think it probably has something to do with getting to spend time with incredible players from all different types of sports. I went golfing the other day with someone who is going to be one of the best golfers in the world, I can feel it."

"Do you regret not going to the NBA?" Haley asked him.

"Sometimes. Not very often. I was good enough, and I proved that to myself. I don't think my dad ever forgave me though," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," She said quickly. "Apparently the way to earn Dan's love is to have kids. That's what Lucas always says, anyways."

"He sure does have a soft spot for Sawyer and Lee," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "And mom will give Lee anything he wants because they named him after her."

"That's what Lucas tells me. She says she doesn't have a favorite, but deep down, they know she's lying," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Your mom, huh?"

"Yeah, she's a piece of work," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"How often do you see them?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I try to go down there every few weeks. Always bearing gifts. No matter what, l'm their favorite uncle by default but I want them to be excited to see me," Nathan laughed, shaking his head.

"That's not true! Peyton has a brother," Haley argued, shaking her head.

"Okay, she has a brother that she sees once a year. I'm the favorite uncle," Nathan laughed, nudging his elbow into her side. "I'm insulted that you would insinuate otherwise."

"I'm just teasing you," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Nathan. How could you not be the favorite uncle?"

Nathan smiled at her, clearing his throat. "Well I'm sure you're the favorite aunt, right?"

"Not by a mile. It's Quinn, and then Taylor, and then me. I'll be Quinn's baby's favorite aunt though," She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"What? There's no way! They were always so excited to see you," Nathan said, frowning.

"No, Nathan, they were excited to see you," Haley laughed, looking at him. "I was the aunt that made them eat their vegetables, and you would sneak them into the garbage."

"But you always noticed that I put them there and you never said anything," Nathan said, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion. "I swear they loved you."

"Nope, they loved you," Haley said, shaking her head. "In fact, I think when we broke up, they were more upset than anyone else."

Nathan just about choked again at her words. Just like that? So casual?

They definitely weren't true, he was pretty sure he took that crown.

"Yeah, I doubt that," Nathan responded, clearing his throat.

"Nathan..." Haley began, trailing off when Quinn came back to the table.

"I just want this baby out of me," Quinn said, sighing and beginning to eat her food rather aggressively. "What did I miss?"

"Clay, um, took a phone call. He'll be right back though," Haley said softly, looking at Quinn and smiling slightly.

"I always tell him not to take phone calls during lunch but he never listens," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Can I get you guys anything else?" Hannah asked as she approached the table, looking at Nathan.

"It looks like we'll need three boxes and I'll take the check," Nathan said quickly, glancing at Clay, Quinn, then Haley's plates.

"Nathan, you don't-"

"I'm paying, Quinn," Nathan said quickly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, handing Hannah his card.

Hannah nodded, before heading away from the table.

"Thanks, Nathan," Haley said quietly, making eye contact with Quinn and shaking her head.

"Yeah, don't mention it," He said, keep his eyes focused on the plate in front of him.

Clay arrived back at the table at the same time Hannah was coming with the boxes.

"We're done?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan stood up slowly, shaking his head. "I really need to get back to work. Sorry."

Clay looked at him, knitting his eyebrows together in surprise. "Come on, Nathan. It's Friday. You've been traveling a ton lately. Why don't you just stay?"

Nathan made eye contact with Clay, beginning a silent argument with him full of eye gestures, head nods, and different expressions.

"You should stay, Nathan," Haley said, reaching out and grabbing onto his wrist, pulling him from any type of conversation he was having with Clay.

Nathan looked at her quickly, his eyes softening when they met hers.

What the hell was wrong with him? She was the reason he was trying to get out of this lunch so quickly. She crossed a line he didn't want her to cross when she brought up them, although it had been casual, it brought back the mixed emotions.

Why did she have so much power over him? It really wasn't fair. His brain could tell him to walk out, but as soon as she says stay, all of the sudden it sounds like a great idea to him.

"I can stay for a little while," He said, clearing his throat and sighing softly.

"Awesome," Clay said, clapping Nathan on the shoulder.

"Can we go back home though?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Clay said, leaning down and kissing her head. "We'll continue the Charlotte tour tomorrow."

"I'm from North Carolina, I have been here, you know," Haley laughed, looking at Clay and shaking her head.

"True, but you didn't know about this place. Only people that live here know the full experience. Oh! Maybe we should go to a Hornets game!" Clay said, looking at Nathan quickly. "I'm going to make some calls later. There's a home game this weekend."

"Oh great, now there's another excuse for them to go to a basketball game," Quinn said, shaking her head and standing up.

Haley stood up slowly, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking up at Nathan.

Nathan met her eyes for a moment, before looking away again.

"I think I'm going to stop by my apartment and change clothes. I'll see you guys at your place," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"Sounds good," Clay said, nodding at him. "I'll walk you to you car?"

"Uh, sure..." Nathan trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Wow, there was no way it wasn't completely obvious that Clay was going to talk to him about the girl that had been the hot topic of their discussions lately. Because why else would he need to walk him out to his car?

Nathan rolled his eyes as they started walking, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What happened?" Clay asked when they exited the building.

"This is all just too weird for me, man," Nathan said, looking over at Clay. "She's so put together."

"You're so put together, Nathan," Clay laughed, shrugging. "Look at your life. It's not like she's better than you. I'd say that you're almost as put together as she is. The only difference is, she's not all jittery and acting like she's had ten cups of coffee."

"I just don't think I can do the whole casual conversation friends thing," Nathan told him, looking over. "Did she say anything about me on the drive here?"

"No," Clay answered, shaking his head. "Not that it matters, but I've heard your name come out of her mouth maybe ten times in the last six years. She hasn't said one thing to Quinn about how she's been messaging you."

"Really?" Nathan asked, looking over at him.

"Yeah," Clay said, clearing her throat. "I think it's because the memories hurt her too. And before you argue and say the memories didn't have to be painful, just save it."

Nathan nodded, kicking his foot at the ground. "It doesn't change how weird this is."

"Just relax, Nathan. As long as she doesn't go into anything too deep, just keep it light. If she casually brings up something that happened while you were dating, then roll with it. I mean if she says that she tries to go any deeper, think with your brain and your heart. Just relax, man. You're acting really uptight today, and that's not who you are," Clay laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Okay. But as soon as I get to your house, I want a beer in my hand, and I want to be cut off after the first one," Nathan laughed, nodding at him.

"You got it, buddy," Clay said, glancing over when Quinn and Haley walked out of the restaurant.

Nathan let out a deep breath, climbing into his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He took the long way home, making sure to stop at every single yellow light. It took him a little bit longer to pick out what to wear than he'd like to admit.

When he arrived at their house, he knocked on the front door before heading inside.

A smell that he had not smelled in six years overwhelmed him, letting out a deep breath.

He walked into the kitchen, clearing his throat.

"Hey Nate," Clay said, looking at him from the countertop bar. "Haley is making Quinn brownies."

"I see that," Nathan said, leaning against the counter, smiling at Haley when she looked over at him when she pulled open the oven to check them. "That was fast, I didn't think it took me that long to get over here."

"On the drive home Quinn was craving them, and Haley started making them as soon as we walked through the door," Clay laughed, smiling at his wife when she walked into the kitchen.

"Haley makes great brownies, so I don't blame her," Nathan said, nodding slowly.

"Oh, my brownies are nothing compared to Taylor's. Taylor is the worst in just about everything, but when it comes to making brownies..." Haley trailed off, looking over at them.

Nathan quickly looked at Quinn, whose eyes shifted to him just as quickly.

He could tell she was holding back a laugh.

"What?" Haley asked, a confused look appearing on her face.

"Nothing," Nathan said, looking back at her and smirking slightly.

"No, you two just shared one of those looks after I said something!" Haley argued, crossing her arms.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Quinn said, shaking her head.

Clay eyed the two of them suspiciously. "I saw it too, Hales."

"It's nothing," Quinn said, shrugging. "Yeah, Taylor makes good brownies."

"Really good," Nathan added, clearing his throat. "You're right, Haley."

Haley scowled, her eyes darting back and forth between Nathan and Quinn a few times.

"Tell me," She said when her eyes finally landed on Quinn.

"Tell you what?" Quinn asked her innocently, raising her eyebrows.

When Haley found no use out of Quinn, her eyes moved to Nathan.

"Nathan," Haley said, looking at him with one eyebrow raised. "Tell me."

Nathan swallowed thickly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Nathan," She said again, clearing her throat.

"Taylor's brownies have a special, secret ingredient in them," Nathan said quickly, before hitting his hand against the counter.

"Nathan! That was a secret! You swore you wouldn't tell," Quinn groaned, leaning back in her chair.

"I'm sorry!" Nathan groaned, looking over his shoulder at her.

"What?" Haley asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Haley ate pot brownies!" Clay laughed, shaking his head. "That's hilarious."

"You two let me eat those? No wonder Taylor hasn't made them for me in like seven years!" Haley said, scowling at them.

"Haley, you really needed them," Quinn laughed.

"You're my sister. You're supposed to stop things like this," Haley groaned, shaking her head. She pointed at Nathan, "And you, you were my boyfriend!"

"You did really need them. One day she was at our apartment, and Quinn was there, and you were getting so stressed out because you had a test the next day and Taylor dropping by wasn't helping... So she asked us if we thought it was a good idea..." Nathan trailed off, clearing his throat.

"Easily the most fun I've ever had," Quinn laughed.

"I don't think I've ever seen you and Taylor get along so well," Nathan laughed, looking over at Quinn.

"I can't believe this," Haley groaned, running her hand through her hair.

"Don't worry, Haley, I didn't eat any. I kept an eye out for you," Nathan laughed, shrugging.

"Oh, my hero," Haley grumbled, looking at him and shaking her head. As soon as she made eye contact with Nathan, she couldn't keep the straight face anymore and started laughing.

"I can't believe you two let Taylor drug me!" She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"You're not mad?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What's the use of being angry about something that happened seven years ago, Quinn?" Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "You two have been carrying that around for years."

"You still got an A on your test, so no harm done," Nathan said, shrugging.

"Any other times you two have drugged me that I should know about?" Haley asked, looking at them.

"I think just the one for me. Quinn?" Nathan asked, looking over and laughing.

"Just that once," Quinn confirmed, nodding.

"Have you two ever drugged me?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, honey, you couldn't take it," Quinn joked, patting Clay's cheek.

"I've gotten you drunk hundreds of times, but never drugs. Sorry," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley laughed quietly at the conversation, opening up the oven when the timer went off, pulling the brownies out slowly.

"Oh, Haley. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Quinn gushed, grinning at her.

Nathan looked over at her, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, right, besides my baby, and Clay, all that, you know what I mean," Quinn said, getting down from her chair.

"Thank you," Haley hummed, looking down at them. "Better let them sit for a minute or two."

Nathan stepped over, looking down at the brownies and humming softly. "They smell incredible, Hales."

"Thank you," Haley hummed, looking up at him and smiling.

Nathan smiled back at her, rubbing his neck. He glanced over at Clay after a moment, letting out a deep breath.

After the brownies cooled, they all got settled in the living room, just talking casually.

Since it was November, Clay convinced everyone in the room to watch cheesy Hallmark movies with him.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty light hearted and breezy. Nathan surprised himself how seriously he took Clay's words to him in the parking lot earlier, and how he let himself relax and live in the moment, rather than the past.

When it hit about nine o'clock, Quinn was falling asleep on Clay's shoulder, so Clay promised he'd be right back after taking her to bed, but he had yet to come back, and it had been ten minutes.

"Nathan," Haley said, bringing his focus away from the movie. They were sitting at opposite ends of the couch.

Nathan looked at her quickly, raising his eyebrows. "Hm?"

Haley reached forward, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and pausing the movie.

He knew instantly what she was about to talk about. Them. The past. Rehash thoughts that until last week, he'd buried and never dealt with.

That was him, though. Haley didn't avoid things.

Well, it had been six years, but still.

"I wanted to come here to see Quinn, that was true," Haley began, clearing her throat. "But I also really wanted to see you."

"Oh," Nathan answered, nodding slowly.

Lame answer, Nathan. Great job.

"I think it's time for us to talk, you know? It's been six years, and I don't know about you, but I have a lot to say..." She said calmly.

Nathan felt his panic rising. He really didn't want to relive this with her.

It was the immature option, for sure. But he hated the situation. He hated that she broke up with him so many years ago.

He wasn't going to do this with her. Maybe she should check back in another six years.

If only she wasn't going to be here for several more days.

"I know it's going to be hard," She began, letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah, it is," Nathan said quickly, looking at her and shaking his head. "So let's not."

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Let's not do this," He said simply, standing up.

"We've already avoided this conversation for too long, Nathan," Haley said, standing up as well. "I have things to say to you, and I know you have things to say to me."

"No you don't. You don't know me," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm not the same 21-year old kid you tossed to the side like a basketball."

"Well that comment right there tells me you have more to say," Haley argued, crossing her arms.

"Don't debunk me," He said in a monotone voice, keeping his anger levels low. He could get mad when he got home, but he wasn't going to blow up on her.

"I don't have anything to say," He said, picking up his jacket from off the back of the couch. "It was great seeing you, Haley. Try me in another ten years," He said, walking to the front door.

"Nathan, come on," Haley groaned, following after him.

"No, Haley. I'm walking away from this conversation because I don't want to have it. I don't need to have it," Nathan said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm doing just fine without it."

Haley let out a deep breath, gesturing for him to go.

Nathan nodded, pulling the door open and storming out to his car quickly.

The whole drive home, he kept his head level.

He focused on driving, otherwise he might crash his car into a tree or something like that.

But as soon as he crossed through the door to his apartment, he felt his anger towards he come out.

He was so mad at her. Maybe he should've talked to her, but he didn't want to hear more excuses. He was sure she thought she made the right decision.

But he knew she was wrong.

He would've given up anything for her. Even at the young age of 21, he was ready to forget any life he was making for himself and make a life for them instead.

She thought she could make a decision for him, and it wasn't fair.

He couldn't stand this anymore. He couldn't stand thinking of her. Being around her didn't help because it actually made him miss her. He missed her. He missed thinking of the life they were supposed to have together.

They were supposed to be having kids right now. She was supposed to be his wife. But she thought she knew better than him. She always thought she knew better than him.

After stewing in his own thoughts for awhile, he realized he had not moved from the front entry way when he heard a knock at the door.

He pulled the door open, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Haley? How did you get my address?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

She looked angry. Pissed off. A look he rarely saw when they dated, but one he recognized as not the time to play around.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Nathan?" Haley snapped to him, pushing past him and shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" He asked, scowling at her.

"What I mean is, I'm begging you, after six years to let me hear you, and to listen to what I have to say, and you walk out like it doesn't matter!" She said, looking at him and rolling her eyes. "That's the easy way out!"

"It doesn't matter, Haley!" He argued, "it's not going to change anything."

Haley laughed bitterly, glaring at him. "That's a load of shit, Nathan! It matters!"

"What do you have to say to me, Haley?" He asked her, shaking his head. "Let me guess. It has something to do with how young we were. How I followed you to college and needed to experience my own life without you," He said, stepping closer to her, glaring down at her.

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

"How I wasn't ready to marry you because I didn't even know who I was, or what I was doing?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at her. "Or maybe we should talk about you," He began, clearing his throat. "Maybe you thought that you were better than me. You thought you could do better than your bestfriend's little brother that had been in love with you for years. Maybe, just maybe, moving away was your excuse to break it off with me," He said bitterly, continuing to move closer to her.

A few more steps and she'd be backed into the wall behind her.

"Nathan..." She warned at his last comments.

He saw the anger growing in her eyes at his words.

He knew they weren't true. He knew she genuinely thought she was doing what was best. But she deserved to hear what was in his head, and he deserved to say it.

"Or maybe you'd already found someone else," He brought up the point, glaring down at her.

That one definitely wasn't true, but he could tell she was fuming now.

"Maybe I was just some joke to you. Something to do," He said to her, shaking his head. "Maybe you figured you owed me. I'd gone all the way to Stanford for you. I was going to fail out if it wasn't for you, and I couldn't keep coming to you if you'd rejected me, so maybe it was easier this way," He said to her, looking down at her when her back hit the wall gently.

He cleared his throat, preparing to speak again, when she cut him off.

"I was wrong, Nathan," Haley said quickly, staring up at him.

Nathan blinked in surprise at her words, easing up for a moment, before laying the pressure he'd put on again. The room had shifted somewhere along the lines when he was backing her into the wall. He still felt the rage, but it was accompanied by something new.

He placed his hands on either side of her head, staring down at her.

"Wrong?" He asked, glaring down at her.

"I was wrong," She said again, staring up at him. "I thought that I was making the right choice by breaking up with you, but it wasn't."

That wasn't what he was expecting to hear from her at all. Haley was always very calculated in her decisions and rarely regretted them.

Nathan was even closer to her now. He didn't know exactly how it happened, but he could feel her rage mixing with his.

"You're a jerk," She told him quietly, her hand coming to rest on his chest. "An ass. For you to even say, let alone think any of the things you just told me."

"Say it again," He said to her, glaring down at her.

"You're a huge ass. But I was wrong, Nathan. I thought I knew better than you, but you knew better than me," She said, scowling up at him.

For years, they'd argue who kissed who first.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again- you guys are incredible! Thank you so much!**

Nathan blinked his eyes open as the sun reflecting brightly from his window hit them in the morning.

Why did he feel so... Weird?

He raised his hand to rub his head, glancing over when his elbow gently connected with another person in his bed.

What he saw almost made him fall out of bed. Haley.

Memories from the night before came flooding back to him, his eyes widening.

He looked back up at the ceiling when he noticed her shift like she was waking up, letting out a deep breath.

His expression mirrored one of complete shock. His lips were pursed, and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Well, not so much in confusion, more of 'what the hell did he do in this situation?'

He could tell she'd woken up because he could still see her in his peripheral vision.

She looked like she was trying to piece together exactly what happened too.

They'd been rage drunk. The fury in the air had switched to more of a sexual tension somewhere along the lines. And that had carried each of them to the point of exhaustion, leaving the problem at hand to be left until they both were thinking clearly in the morning.

Nathan noticed her tug his bed sheets higher up.

Yeah, this was kind of weird.

He opened his mouth to say something, before closing it quickly. He tilted his head, thinking hard about what he wanted to say, opening his mouth again, but it closed when he realized he had nothing to say.

"So..." Haley finally said, clearing his throat.

The uncomfortable air was suffocating, really.

"So..." Nathan repeated back to her, keeping his eyes pinned on the ceiling.

"I should probably go, you know, because Clay and Quinn are going to be wondering where I am," Haley said slowly.

"Right, yeah," Nathan agreed, nodding. "And I have, y'know, stuff to do at..." He glanced at the clock. "7:06 in the morning. Yep."

"Exactly," She said, biting her lip.

"Uh, if you want you can take a shower," He told her, gesturing towards the connected bathroom.

"Um, yeah, okay," Haley said, not moving to get out of bed.

Nathan looked around the room to see if he could find sweats, boxers, or anything, but he distinctly remembered clothes shedding on the way to the room.

He scratched his head lightly, clearing his throat. "I'll just... Go?"

"Sure, yeah," Haley agreed, still not making a move.

Nathan didn't make a move either. It was just a little awkward to get out with zero articles of clothing to change into immediately.

"Why don't I take the sheet and go grab my clothes, and you can put some clothes on while I'm gone?" She suggested, clearing her throat.

"Good plan," He nodded, sliding the top sheet off himself, pushing it in her direction.

Haley got out of bed, making sure the sheet was secured around her.

As she walked out of the room, Nathan couldn't help but admire her, a small smile on his face.

Haley James was one of a kind.

He climbed out of bed, quickly pulling on some clothes.

When she walked back in, he gestured to the bathroom, rubbing his neck. "Uh, go ahead. There should be a clean towel in there."

"Thank you," She said slowly, looking at him, before heading into the bathroom.

Nathan rubbed his eyes, shaking his head quickly.

This was so weird.

He walked out of the bedroom, hurrying into the kitchen. Should he... Make her breakfast?

What did he do when his ex girlfriend who he had not spoken to in years came over looking for a fight and then ended up staying over?

He shrugged slightly.

He'd never been a make breakfast kind of guy. Especially not with a one night stand?

What if it had the potential to turn into something else?

No, it didn't... Could it?

He sighed softly, putting a piece of toast in the toaster.

This would be good enough.

He looked at the clock on the microwave, letting out a deep breath.

He shook his head, pulling open the fridge. He really needed to go grocery shopping.

He'd been traveling a lot so it had not been worth it.

He pulled a yogurt out of the fridge, checking the expiration. That was still good.

He poured it into a bowl, grabbing blueberries and raspberries out of the fridge next.

He then went to his pantry, grabbing granola and putting it in the bowl.

Okay, a parfait and toast. That was enough.

Really, they could've just eaten cereal. Or not eaten at all.

But it felt too weird to send Haley on her way without feeding her.

When she walked out to the kitchen, she cleared her throat.

He looked over at her, setting her food down on the bar in the island.

"I, uh, made you breakfast," He said, gesturing to it.

Haley offered him a small smile, sitting down where he'd set the plates.

Nathan decided to just eat cereal, rather than go through the whole process again. He sat next to her, cringing at the awkward silence.

"I forgot to ask you..." He trailed off, "How did you find my apartment?"

"Clay said he was going to order food to you and said it really loudly from the kitchen. I figure since food never arrived then that means he was just trying to get me to come over here," Haley responded, tapping her fingers on the smooth granite lightly.

"Nice," He responded, clearing his throat.

"It's nice," Haley gestured around, offering him a smile.

"Yeah, I really like it," Nathan agreed, glancing out towards the living room.

"Very clean," She stated, shrugging.

"Yeah, no one likes to come over to the messy guy's house," He chuckled, shrugging. "You know, by that I mean, my friends. Not that I'm bringing home girls," He pulled a face at his words, clearing his throat. "Not that it would matter either way if I was or if you were seeing someone too, that would-"

"I didn't take it that way," Haley assured him, laughing quietly.

Nathan nodded, rubbing his neck. "Yeah. I actually think it stays clean because I'm not home to make it a mess."

"You really travel that much?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah. When Quinn hit about seven months, Clay didn't want to be too far in case something happened, so I started traveling more. We have other people that work for us but I don't really mind," He said, shrugging.

"Fortitude is really great," She said, nodding at him. "I'm amazed by the business you and Clay have built."

"Yeah, we've put blood, sweat, and tears into it," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

She smiled slightly, standing up once she finished her food.

"Leave it," Nathan said, nodding at the bowl. "I'll get it."

"You know that's not who I am," She said, walking over to the sink, washing it out.

"I have to unload the dishwasher, so you can just put it in the sink," He said, shrugging slightly.

"It sounds so strange to hear that phrase coming out of your mouth," She laughed, shaking her head.

"I wasn't a total deadbeat boyfriend. I unloaded the dishwasher and cleaned," He said, frowning at her.

"No, you weren't, not at all," She said, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Nathan smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I better go," Haley announced, tapping her hands on her legs. "This has been fun, and surprising, and y'know... Awkward."

"Emphasis on the last one," He said, shoving his hands into his pockets. He walked her to the front door, letting out a deep breath.

"You know what, let me get your number so that we can meet up another day and talk about last night, or not talk about it, whatever," Haley said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, okay," Nathan said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Haley did the same, blinking down at the screen. "Wow, that's a lot of missed calls and texts. Okay, it's fine," She said, pulling up her contacts.

They quickly exchanged numbers, immediately going back to the awkward front door situation.

Was he supposed to hug her? Kiss her? High-five? The whole situation was getting more awkward by the second.

He leaned down, giving her a very brief hug, clearing his throat.

"I'll call you," He said, nodding at her.

"Okay," Haley said, resting her hand on his shoulder for a moment, before pulling open the door.

"Wait-" He said, frowning and grabbing her arm to stop her. "Did you take a cab here?"

"Yeah," Haley answered, shrugging slightly.

"You didn't call another one," He said, frowning at her.

"I was just going to wait outside and call one," She said, looking up at him.

It oddly made him feel better that she thought this situation was uncomfortable too, but he didn't want her to wait outside for a car.

He ran a hand through his hair, lifting his keys off the side table in the entry way. "Come on, I'll give you a ride."

"Nathan, you don't have to do that," Haley assured him, waving her hand.

"Come on, Hales," He said, nudging her out the door, following after her.

The car was filled with an awkward silence the moment they got into it.

"So..." Nathan trailed off as he started driving towards the Evans household, glancing over at her. "How's Brooke?"

A smile formed on Haley's face at the mention of Brooke Davis.

"Her and Julian got married," Haley said, nodding at him. "Which I'm sure you know."

"Yeah," He said, nodding slowly.

"And they have twin boys," She informed him, tapping her hands on her leg. "Davis and Jude."

He smiled, glancing over at her. "Good for them."

"Brooke's clothing line blew up a few years ago," She said, nodding.

"Clothes Over Bro's," He said, clearing his throat. "I've heard about it. And Julian is a hot shot director now?"

"Pretty much," Haley laughed, relaxing into the seat. "They're doing fantastic. I don't see them as much as I'd like, but it's kinda difficult for me to take time off in the middle of a school year."

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?" Nathan questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, but I just really wanted to see Quinn," Haley said, shrugging. "I've never been to their house, and they've lived here for three years."

Nathan glanced over at her, clearing his throat. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Why?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"They probably wanted to meet you in Tree Hill because I didn't want to see you," He said, shrugging.

"Nathan, I never wanted to come here," She said, shaking her head. "It wasn't them. It was me. I didn't want to risk seeing you probably as much as you didn't want to risk seeing me."

"Oh," He responded, glancing over at her.

"Yeah," She said, nodding at him.

He let out a deep breath when they pulled up in front of Quinn and Clay's house. "Well..."

"I guess I'll see you later," She said, resting her hand on his arm.

He smiled, nodding at her. "I'll call you."

"Alright," She said, smiling at him and getting out of the car.

Nathan waited until she'd gone inside, before pulling away from the house quickly.

Once he arrived back to his apartment, he walked into his bedroom, letting out a deep breath.

His gaze narrowed in on the bed, running a hand through his hair.

He shook his head, heading into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

He couldn't believe what had happened last night. They had not seen each other in six years, and they fell into bed together so easily, during an argument nonetheless.

They were never very great at fighting.

A small smile formed on his face as he remembered the night.

He got out of the shower, quickly getting dressed and ready for the day. He knew exactly who to call.

He sat down on the end of the bed, glancing over his shoulder to where Haley was once laying.

He pulled out his phone, quickly finding the desired contact.

"Hello?"

"Hey Peyton," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"What's up?" Peyton hummed into the phone.

"Just calling to chat," He told her.

"Lee, I'm getting it for you buddy, just give me a minute," She told her and Lucas' 18-month old son.

"Bad time?" Nathan asked her.

"No, he just wants his apple sauce and he wants it now," Peyton laughed.

He laughed, smiling slightly. "He's a great kid."

"Yeah, he's supposed to be napping now," Peyton cooed at him.

Nathan smiled slightly. Who would have thought that Peyton Sawyer was going to be the most incredible mother?

"Well, Nathan, you don't call me on the regular. What do you need?" Peyton asked him.

"I'm just calling to chat. Check in with the kids," He defended himself, chuckling quietly.

"I'm sure Sawyer would be more than happy to take her attention from the cartoons she's watching to talk to you," She hummed.

"No, no. I want to talk to you," Nathan assured her, sighing softly.

"Okay..." Peyton trailed off.

"How are you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm doing great," Peyton said, clearing her throat. "I'm happy, Luke is happy, kids are sometimes happy."

"Very cool," Nathan said, laying back against the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"Yep," She agreed.

"I had an idea. Maybe you should bring the kids here," He began quickly, continuing before she could talk. "I slept with Haley last night," He added in, before speaking again before she could react. "Yeah, or maybe I could come there and hang out with them. What do they want for Christmas? I'd love to get them something awesome."

It was quiet on the line for a moment.

"What did you say?" Peyton asked him slowly.

"I thought I could come there and watch the kids. I miss them," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"Before that," She demanded.

"Oh yeah, you could bring them here too," He suggested, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Nathan..." She trailed off. "Did you really?"

"Yeah, I did," He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"You're lying," Peyton said quickly. "There's no way."

"It's true," He told her, running his hand through his hair.

It was quiet for another moment.

"When you say slept together, you mean-"

"Yes."

"How?" Peyton asked him quickly.

"Uh, don't know if you want those details," He joked, sitting up slowly.

"How did you even see her? How did you end up, y'know... With her like that," Peyton asked him. "Sorry, I have little ears around so I have to be careful about what I say."

"She's in Charlotte visiting Quinn. We've been messaging each other through Instagram the past week, and I ran into her at the office yesterday while Clay was giving a tour," Nathan informed her, blowing out a deep breath.

"How have we not heard about this? You've been talking to her for a week?" She asked him quickly.

"I didn't want to tell Luke because he wouldn't get it, Peyton," He said simply, rubbing his hand down his face, glancing over to the spot where Haley had slept.

"I'm so shocked by all of this," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Let's hear more."

"Okay, so I went to lunch with them, and it was kind of awkward but it was okay, and then I was going to bail because who wants to hang out with the person that literally crushed your soul, right?" He chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"Of course, yeah," Peyton agreed, nodding.

"But she talked me into staying, and Clay reinforced the idea by making it seem like a good idea. He said we're both adults, and it's time to get over it, pretty much," He chuckled, tapping his hand on the comforter.

"Okay..." She trailed off, clearing her throat. "Then what?"

"I went to their house and hung out with them for awhile. Then Quinn got really tired, so Clay took her to bed and promised he would be right back. Haley turned to me and tried to start the conversation," He said, sighing softly.

"When you say the conversation, do you mean THE conversation?" She asked him.

"Yep," Nathan said, shrugging. "The 'hey it's been six years, let's talk' conversation. But since I'm immature, I said no way. Catch you in another six, maybe."

"Of course you did."

"And then I went home. But Clay gave her my address," He said, rolling his eyes. "I knew he was going to meddle. That's why I didn't want to tell anyone but he found out I'd been messaging her because he stole my phone the day after we started."

"Okay, so Clay gives her your address, she comes over, and then?"

"I started saying some pretty jackass things to her," He said, letting out a deep breath. "They weren't too bad, but I was only saying them to try and hurt her. And then she said that she'd been wrong. She should have said yes. And we kissed."

"And the rest is history..." Peyton blew out a deep breath. "So, uh, where does that leave you?"

"In an awkward spot," Nathan chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "I told her I'd call her. I don't know if I will."

"Well it sounds like you both still have feelings, and Haley doesn't admit that she's wrong unless she knows she is. Who made the first move? Like who messaged who?" Peyton asked him.

"Haley messaged," He said, standing up slowly and letting out a deep breath.

"So it sounds like Haley has been making all the first moves. I'd say ball is in your court, buddy," She said, humming softly.

"You know I love when you use basketball metaphors to reason with me. How can I say no to that?" Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. "I was calling you for advice, Peyt. I really don't know what I should do."

"Well, would you be interested in possibly opening that door again? That's all I can say, Nate. I can't tell you what to do."

"I don't know, she said she was wrong. Which means she wishes we were married right now," He said, clearing his throat.

"I guess what you have to figure out, is do you wish you were married to her right now? Or are you happy with the way the cards have fallen? She lives in Arizona, which is far," Peyton said, letting out a deep breath. "And I'm not supposed to tell anyone this because she asked us not to, but at the end of the school year, she's going to interview for a job at Tree Hill High."

"Oh, wow," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Do you know-"

"Mommy, who are you talking to?"

Nathan heard Sawyer ask, a small smile forming on his face.

"I'm talking to Uncle Nathan," Peyton told her daughter.

"I want to talk!" The three year old begged.

"Okay," Peyton said, sighing softly.

Nathan heard her switch the phone to speaker phone.

"Nathan!" Sawyer cheered.

"Hey Sawyer," Nathan said, a grin forming on his face.

"Can't see him," Sawyer said loudly to Peyton.

"It's just a phone call," Peyton told her, laughing quietly.

"Uncle Nathan..."

She continued on babbling things that Nathan couldn't quite make out because she was talking so fast.

"She's telling you about the cartoon she was watching," Peyton informed him, laughing quietly.

"Well I can't wait to watch it with you, Sawyer," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"You coming here?" Sawyer asked him quickly.

"Soon," He assured her.

"Yay!" She cheered, a hum following it.

"And she's gone," Peyton laughed, "She ran back to the couch and is watching her show again."

"I should probably go too," He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Well, keep me posted," Peyton told him, clearing her throat.

"Maybe. Don't tell Luke, okay?" He said, sighing softly.

"You got it," Peyton said, laughing. "Talk to you later, Nathan."

"Bye, Peyton," He said, hanging up the phone and letting out a deep breath, falling back onto the bed once again.

He glanced over and caught sight of a few of Haley's hairs left on his pillow case.

Good hell. What was he going to do?

xxxx

After wasting most of the day away by cleaning things that didn't need to be clean (a habit he had picked up from Haley a long time ago), binge watching shows, and going to the gym and shooting some hoops, he finally ended up back at his apartment.

He let out a deep breath, sitting down on his couch once again. His day had not taken his mind off of Haley at all.

Peyton had hardly helped him, so calling her had been a big waste of time.

Okay, maybe that wasn't true. But he was still hoping for more clarity after speaking with someone about the situation.

He brushed a hand through his hair, staring at the blank flat screen that was hanging on the wall.

She crushed him. How could he even consider some of the thoughts that were running through his mind?

But the memory of her telling him that she had been wrong last night... It brought a smile to his face.

He'd always known she was wrong, but hearing her admit it was music to his ears.

He let out a deep breath, pulling his phone out of his pocket, staring a text message to Haley James.

The text read:

Can we meet up tomorrow?


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter really wrote itself, wow! I had so much fun, and I'm actually very pleased with it. Only a few more chapters left in this short story. I'm so thankful to everyone that reads and reviews. **

**P.S. I am currently working on my other stories, they just aren't flowing as well right now. So sorry for the delay!**

Nathan stood up quickly when Haley approached the table he was seated at inside a coffee shop, clearing his throat.

He could feel his heartbeat quicker, and his palm start to sweat.

It wasn't fair, the effect she had on him. Especially after their history, and all the time that had passed. When she smiled at him, he couldn't help but smile back at her.

She made him smile in a way that only she could.

Flashes of the night they spent together popped into his head. She made him feel things that no one else could.

"Hey," He said when she finally reached him, letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan," She responded, smiling brightly up at him.

He reached down and hugged her briefly, glancing around at the few people that were in the coffee shop.

"I didn't think I'd hear from you so quick," She told him, resting her hand on his arm, smiling slightly.

"Think I'd wait another six years or so?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and shrugging, sitting back down in his seat.

"Something like that," She said, sitting down across from him.

"I, uh, ordered you a drink," He said, rubbing his neck, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed by it. "I was going to go with what you used to get, but then I wasn't sure, so I just got you what I usually get and I don't like coffee that much so it pretty much consists of cream, sugar, and flavoring," He said, clearing his throat.

"You're rambling, that's my thing," She said, smiling at him and shaking her head. "Thank you, Nathan."

"No problem," He said, nodding at her. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," She said, nodding. "Went shopping for baby stuff with Clay and Quinn yesterday, which was a trip," She said, shrugging.

"Get anything good?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I think so," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "You'd think after the thousands of nieces and nephews I have, I'd be able to answer that, but I really don't know."

He laughed quietly, brushing his hand through his hair. "Did they, uh, ask where you were?"

"No," She said, shaking her head. "They knew where I was," She informed him, meeting his eyes. "Of course, Quinn said she called it."

"Called it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That we'd sleep together if we saw each other," She said, shaking her head.

"I highly doubt that," He said, rolling his eyes.

"That's what I said. She just likes to be right," She said, laughing.

"What? A James sibling? They never like to be right..." He said sarcastically, smiling at her.

"I resent that," She laughed, shaking her head at him.

Nathan's smile widened with her laugh. She had the most beautiful laugh he'd ever heard in his life.

Now that she was sitting in front of him, he'd realized just how much he missed her. Of course, after they broke up he missed her for awhile. But then as time passed, he started to feel the anger and the pain whenever she came to mind, and he really didn't miss her anymore.

But right now, he felt it. He felt the years of not having her with him. Before they dated, she had been one of his closest friends. She was the person that he told his secrets and his fears. She saw him in his lowest moments, and his highest.

It's funny that now she was his lowest moment, along with his highest. Dating her was still the best time of his life. When she broke up with him, that was definitely the lowest.

"This is weird, huh?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

An odd question to ask, but he figured she would respond appropriately.

"Yes," She answered quickly, nodding at him. "It's so weird."

"I don't know how to act around you, really," He said, letting out a deep breath. "When you followed me, I was at the gym and I almost fell off the treadmill."

"Sorry," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"No, it's okay, but... I went through everything that night. The whole timeline, pretty much."

"So did I," She told him, clearing her throat.

He opened his mouth, closing it when the coffee was brought over to them, saying a quick thank you, then looking down at the mug in front of him.

"You looked like you had something to say," Haley said, nodding at him.

"I don't know," He responded, rubbing his neck.

"If you have something you want to say, Nathan, just say it," She said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan glanced around. There weren't that many people there, which was good. But he still wasn't sure how to phrase was he was going to say.

"I just want to be friends," He finally said, looking up at her.

Okay, so that was one way to put it.

Haley nodded at him, sending him a smile. "Nathan, it has been six years since we broke up. I didn't tell you that I regretted it because I wanted to jump into a relationship with you, I told you that because I wanted to give you the closure you deserved."

He let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing in his chair. "Okay, cool. So, uh, how do we be friends?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"First we should decide whether we should address the problems, or just forget about them?" She asked him, laughing. "Because I have more to say if you're willing to listen without bolting."

"I think I can handle that," He said, clearing his throat.

"Awesome," She said, smiling at him. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Nathan, and I'm sorry it took me six years to finally say that."

He nodded, taking a long drink of his coffee, letting out a deep breath. "I've moved past it."

"No, you haven't. I know you haven't because I never did," She said, smiling at him. "Because if you had, we wouldn't have avoided the hell out of each other."

"I have plenty of ex girlfriends that I never see," He told her, shaking his head. "In fact, the only one I see regularly is Peyton."

"If we're going to do this, Nathan, I just want you to be honest, okay?" She said softly, letting out a sigh.

"Fine," He said, rubbing his neck and leaning back. "Okay. I never got over it."

She smiled at him, nodding slowly. "And I'm really sorry about that."

He shrugged, tapping his fingers on the table. "Maybe we should slow this conversation down? Just... Ease into it a little? I mean... If we're going to be friends then maybe we should get to know each other again before we hit the gas on a difficult conversation."

"Sure," She agreed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Do you actually like Arizona?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I actually do. I've never really thought of it as a permanent place, but I could see myself there for at least another few years. Maybe moving back when I'm ready to retire," She said, humming softly.

"Huh," He said, clearing his throat and thinking back to the conversation he had with Peyton yesterday about her job interview in Tree Hill.

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I always just pictured you in Tree Hill," He commented, shrugging.

"It's on my list," She said, smiling slightly. "But I don't know exactly what I want."

"That's unusual," He joked, clearing his throat. "You like plans."

"I'm spontaneous now," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "I went to Italy on a whim this past summer."

"Did you really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I did," She said, pulling her phone out, messing with it for a minute, before holding out a picture to prove it.

"Wow," Nathan said, smiling slightly. "I'm impressed."

"Of course, I'll never lose my true love for a good plan," She laughed, shrugging slightly. "Which is why I'm planning another trip for next summer."

"Where?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I was thinking London," She informed him, biting her lip.

"Ah, London. Your dream vacation," He said, nodding slowly.

"Yes," She said, smiling brightly. "And I'm really excited for it."

"I've only been scouting in Europe, never really gone sight seeing or anything," He said, shrugging slightly.

"It's beautiful," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I mean, you see pictures, but when you're actually there it's so different."

Nathan felt his stomach flutter as she spoke, a soft smile forming on his face.

Friends. They were going to be friends. He needed them to be friends. She lived across the country. He couldn't handle another heartbreak, not from her.

"Sounds incredible," He said, nodding at her.

"I think I'm going to try to go on a trip every few years," She said, humming softly. "I just loved it."

He glanced down at the photo one more time, before handing her phone back to her. "I'm happy for you. Send me a postcard or something from London."

With the joy he felt for her, there was a twinge of jealously because that was supposed to be their vacation.

He'd always planned on surprising her with a trip to London, one day.

It hurt a little to see her planning it without him.

But he could get over that. They were becoming friends, after all.

She smiled, taking a drink of her coffee, raising her eyebrows.

"You hate it," He groaned, pressing his face into his hand.

"No, no," She laughed, shaking her head quickly. "It's very sweet, which is different."

"It's okay," He laughed, shrugging. "I can get you something different."

"Don't worry about it, Nathan," She laughed, "It tastes good."

He sighed, laughing quietly. "I should've just gone with my gut and gotten you what I used to get you."

She shook her head, smiling at him. "Oh, knock it off. You're being too tense, Nathan."

"I know," He said, rubbing his neck and looking at her. "I guess I'm just nervous. Because like we already said, this is pretty weird."

She nodded, letting out a deep breath. "So tell me everything that's happened to you."

"I somehow graduated from Stanford," He said, shrugging slightly. "Then I started working at the same play as Clay, and we hated it so we left and started Fortitude."

"And now it's huge," She said, smiling at him.

"Kinda," He laughed, rubbing his neck. "Athletes like working with other athletes, even if I don't play anymore, I understand them and what they want in an agent."

"Makes sense to me," She hummed, resting her elbow on the table, placing her chin in her palm.

"Yeah, and what better place to have a business than the city that my favorite sports team plays in?" He laughed, grinning. "Season passes, court side seats whenever I want them. I love it."

"Well, I'm very impressed," She said, smiling at him.

"I owe it all to you. You talked me into this," He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, I won't take any credit for this," She shook her head quickly, rolling her eyes. "And don't try to give me any of it. This is all you and Clay, Nathan."

He met her eyes, nodding slightly. "Yeah, I guess it was," He said, clearing his throat.

"It's important that you understand that," She said, smiling at him. "Honestly, I'm really proud of you, Nathan. I mean, everything new I learn about you seems just incredible."

He felt his soar at her words, letting out a deep breath.

One thousand different people could say that same thing to him, but it would never mean as much as it just did coming from Haley's mouth.

Even though they really didn't know much about each other anymore, she felt like the only person that really knew him.

"Thank you," He said graciously, tipping his head at her. "I think you're just impressed because of how mature I finally am."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Trust me, Nathan, I've always thought that you were pretty mature," She assured him, humming softly.

"Oh, really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well... Okay, when you were thirteen I thought you were pretty damn annoying and immature, I'm not going to lie," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"All I wanted was your attention," He said, touching his hand over his heart, pretending she'd wounded him with her words.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Well, all you got was negative attention."

He chuckled, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair. "So not cool."

"I do have to ask though..." She began, raising her eyebrows at him. "At what age did your facial hair finally start to come in looking alright?"

"Twenty-three. Thankfully," He laughed, rubbing his hand over the slight beard he'd been growing out.

"I like it," She hummed, nodding at him.

"Yeah, me too," He agreed, shrugging.

After a few more minutes of just talking, they'd both finished their drinks.

Nathan stood up slowly, clearing his throat and looking at her. "So, uh, do you want to keep hanging out?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "It's okay if you have plans with Quinn already, I know you probably want to spend time with her..."

"No," She said quickly, shaking her head and standing up. "We can keep hanging out."

"Cool," He said, smiling at her and letting out a deep breath. "I have the perfect thing for us to do."

"Am I going to regret hearing those words?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Hales," He said, clicking his tongue at her. "I promise that you won't."

xxxx

"Okay, we're here," He said, gesturing outside the car, a big grin forming on his face.

Haley looked outside, raising her eyebrows and looking at him. "Axe Club of America?"

"Yes!" He said, getting out of the car quickly, gesturing for her to follow him.

She laughed, shaking her head and doing as he asked, following him into the building.

Nathan approached the front desk, the grin never leaving his face. "Hello, sir," He said, tapping his hands lightly on the wood. "We are going to need a lane for two."

Haley started to argue when Nathan pulled out his card to pay, but he made a face in her direction, sticking his tongue out at her, and continuing what he was doing.

"Ah yes, there is that maturity," She said quietly to him, smiling and shaking her head.

"You're going to have to listen because I'm not going to teach you how to do it," He said, gesturing to the young guy that was leading them to their lane.

He explained the safety precautions briefly, before showing them a few different ways to throw the axe. After that he handed it over to Nathan, nodding and walking away.

"Have you ever done this before?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Nope," She laughed, shrugging. "Never even considered it until this moment."

"One of my buddies got married a couple years ago and we came here. Clay and I have been hooked ever since. Before Quinn got pregnant she would come with us quite a bit," He said, nodding at the target on the wall in front of them. "You go first."

"Why?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "So you can make fun of my athletic ability?"

"Don't give me that, Hales," He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. Watch me," He chuckled, standing at the line painted on the ground. He threw the axe at the wall, watching it by the butt of the handle, then bounce off.

"Wait, I thought you wanted it to stick," Haley said jokingly, grinning at him.

"Ha. Ha. Funny. I'm a little rusty," He said, walking over and picking up the axe, handing it to her once he returned. "Okay, you go. The trick is to make sure you keep it vertical."

Haley stepped up to the line, glancing over her shoulder at him, shaking her head, before focusing in on the target. She let out a deep breath, throwing it towards the wall.

She cheered when it stuck into the wall, just off from the center, turning to look at him quickly.

"No way," He groaned, shaking his head. "Luck. Try again."

"What? No way was that luck! Don't be a sore loser, Nathan," She hummed, winking at him, happily going to pick up the axe.

"I'm not being a sore loser," He grumbled, taking it from her and letting out a deep breath, throwing it at the target once again. This time, it stuck for a moment then fell to the ground.

Leave it to him to totally screw up in front of Haley James. That's how it always went. If he had been with anyone else...

Not that it mattered.

"Great," He grumbled, shaking his head and walking over to go pick it up.

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll get it next time," She joked with him. "Want me to show you how to do it?"

"Do you do stand up on the side?" He asked her, shaking his head and laughing, handing over the axe and crossing his arms.

"I've been considering it," She informed him, laughing and stepping up to the line.

She threw again and this time it hit just off the center again, but on the other side.

"Such a show off," He said, shaking his head.

"You're kidding me, right?" She asked him, laughing. "Nathan, do you know yourself? You're a giant show off."

"Me?" He gasped, raising his eyebrows.

"You? Yes, you," She laughed, picking up the axe and shaking her head.

"Name one time," He said, shrugging innocently.

"One time you talked me into playing basketball with you and you dunked on me five times in a row," She hummed, shaking her head.

"You liked when I dunked," He reminded her, taking the axe and shaking his head.

"On other people. By the fifth one, I was ready to never go to another game again, I was so annoyed," She laughed, shrugging.

"The truth comes out," He said, groaning and throwing the axe once again. He clapped when it stuck into the wall in about the same spot as her first throw.

He went and got it, handing it to her and raising his eyebrows. "Maybe next throw you should try to bruise my ego even more, it seemed to work."

"Oh, stop it," She laughed, throwing it again, hitting the second ring this time.

"Losing your touch?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Watch it," She said, smiling at him. "You haven't seen anything yet. I think I'm going to have a new found love for Axe-Throwing after this."

"Oh great, next time you won't skip a beat," He groaned, shaking his head. "Clay is worse than me, so I think I'm going to stick with him."

"Can't handle losing?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "How about we say this, loser buys lunch? No wait- winner buys lunch. I'm worried you might lose on purpose."

"You know what- fine," He said, letting out a deep breath and taking the axe. "You're on."

xxxx

Haley had ended up winning, and after that, they ended up going to lunch, where they just sat and talked for another two hours.

She told him all about being a teacher, and her methods, some of which he rolled his eyes in response. He told her all about his job, and funny experiences he'd had while traveling.

It really had just been perfect.

Afterwards, he'd challenged her to bowling, which he'd beat her in.

Her excuse to that was 'I mostly going bowling with my nieces and nephews, which means I usually have the fence things up.'

Then, they'd decided to go to dinner together.

He had missed her so much, he wasn't quite ready to let her go back to Clay and Quinn's house yet.

Plus, they hadn't touched on any of the more serious topics he'd avoided earlier in the day.

After dinner, he said screw it a drove her to the dog park that he liked to jog around.

Which is where they were now, walking around the cement path.

"Your tour of Charlotte was much more interesting than Clay's," She informed him, smiling slightly.

"Can I get that on video?" He laughed, smiling at her and shaking his head.

"I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed there aren't any dogs here," She laughed, gesturing around.

"It's because it's windy and cold. Not to mention..." He gestured to the sunset, "Getting dark."

"Still," She fake pouted, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's the only thing I regret about all the traveling," He told her, sighing softly. "I would love to have a dog."

"Maybe one day you'll settle down, and only travel every once and awhile. I mean... You are getting up there in age."

He gasped, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "Haley James, do we really want to have this conversation?" He questioned her, shaking his head. "Hm... Last time I checked, you're a year older than me. So if I'm old, what does that make you?"

"You're right, forget it," She laughed, shaking her head.

Nathan smiled at her, gesturing to a park bench that was near them, taking a seat and letting out a deep breath.

"I've had a good day," Haley said softly, sitting down by him and smiling.

"Me too," He said, nodding at her. "I like hanging out with you."

"Same here," She hummed, looking out at the sunset.

"So, let's talk," He said, clearing his throat. "About the real stuff."

"Okay..." Haley said cautiously, looking at him.

"Why are you here, Hales? What made you decide to tell me what you told me?" He asked her quietly, raising his eyebrows.

She sighed, leaning back against the bench.

Nathan could tell that she was collecting her thoughts before she answered.

"I dated this guy for two years," She began, clearing her throat. "You know, I loved him, but I could just tell that something was off," She said softly, shaking her head. "It actually made me angry that I felt it because he was perfect on paper. He treated me really well, we had very similar interests..."

Nathan swallowed thickly at the jealously that started to bubble in his throat. He didn't want to feel it, but it was there.

"He proposed to me last New Year's Eve," She said, rubbing her hand over her face. "And that's kind of when it hit me."

"What hit you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I felt off because of you, Nathan. Not because I still wanted to be with you, but because I said no to you," She said softly, shaking her head at herself. "I felt off because I knew that I could be living this completely different life right now, if I'd just made one little decision. And it sounds bad, but I started to compare what I had in that moment, to what we'd had when we were together, and what we'd probably have right now..." She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "And as much as I wanted to say yes to this guy, I had to say no. And I just couldn't stop thinking about what we could've had, and I put myself in your shoes and thought about how heartbroken you must have been. I was heartbroken too, Nathan, believe me..." Haley trailed off, finally looking over at him.

"Oh," He said, rubbing his neck and smiling slightly at her.

"I really loved you," She said quickly, nodding at him.

"I know," He said, clearing his throat. "I never doubted that, honestly."

"So, the more I thought about it, the more it ate me up inside. I was finally going through the emotions I tried to force myself not to feel when we broke up. I knew I'd chose wrong when I pictured the life we could've had, and I looked at what I had in that moment. And I love my life! I really do, but..." Haley trailed off, shaking her head.

"I know what you mean," He said quietly, offering her a smile.

"The more I thought about it, I just knew that I'd been wrong. I could feel it. I should've said yes," She said, shaking her head and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah," He agreed, clearing his throat. "You should have."

She laughed, looking at him and smiling slightly.

He returned her smile, leaning back and letting out a deep breath. "So, let me get this straight... You've had two different guys propose to you and you said no to both of them."

"I'm terrible," She laughed, rolling her eyes at herself.

"No you're not," He said, shaking his head. "You're not, Hales."

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you, Nathan. I wish... I wish you could've understood what was going on in my brain," She said softly, biting her lip. "It may have been the wrong choice, but I had thoughts that justified it at the time."

"Are you okay?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, you said you dated the guy for two years..."

"Oh, I'm totally fine now," She said, waving her hand. "He was perfect on paper, but not for me."

He nodded, watching the sunset for a moment. "Well, I've got you beat, I've proposed to three other girls and they've all said no."

"You're lying," She said, nudging him with her elbow.

"Of course," He chuckled, looking at her again. "No one would turn me down except for Haley James. That's how it was my whole life."

"Oh, stop it," She said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath. "It's true," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"We dated for three years, I'd hardly call that rejection," She said, rolling her eyes.

"You're forgetting all the years before that where I begged you to look at me," He reminded her, laughing quietly.

"Okay, we had this conversation when we were dating. You were Lucas' younger brother! I knew you when you were a gross sixth grader, Nathan," Haley laughed, nudging him again.

He shook his head, laughing along with her. "I didn't realize how much I missed you until now," He said softly, turning to look at the sun again.

"What, the picture you've been throwing darts at over the years hasn't given you enough of me?" She joked, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, I stopped that years ago. Although, there was a fair share of that," He said, humming softly. "But I'm serious, Hales. You were my best friend."

"Even over The Tim?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"Even over him," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You were my best friend too, Nathan," She said, nodding at him. "It was fun dating your best friend, wasn't it?"

"Oh absolutely," He agreed, smiling at her.

"I've missed you too, Nathan," She responded, touching his arm momentarily.

He let out a deep breath, clearing his throat and nodding.

Who knew that adult conversations could go well every once and awhile?

He never expected it to be so light hearted, but they were actually talking about real problems.

"So... Should we talk about the other night?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan looked at her again, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know."

"We were never very great at fighting, right?" Haley joked, shifting in her seat.

"I guess not," He laughed, rubbing his neck. "I mean, you kissed me and I just couldn't help-"

"Wait, no. You kissed me," She argued, shaking her head.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure that's not true. I was pissed at you," He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"No, I was pissed at you. I would not have kissed you. You kissed me," Haley said, poking his arm.

"Okay, whatever. Agree to disagree," He laughed, rubbing the spot she poked him. "The point is, it just kind of happened, right? I don't think it needs to be confusing..."

"Okay, I agree," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, again."

"I didn't get it, Haley, I still don't, but you don't do things unless you feel like you're making the correct choice. I didn't see that then, hell, I didn't see that yesterday. I didn't understand it until right now," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "So as much as it sucked, I'm going to have to let it go if we even have a shot at being friends."

"I really did think I was making the right choice," She said softly.

"I know you did," He hummed, clearing his throat. "But damn it feels good to hear you say that you were wrong."

"You're such a great guy, Nathan," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so happy that you're happy."

He smiled at her, wrapping what he justified as a friendly arm around her shoulder because she seemed a little cold.

They sat there quietly, watching the sun rise, thinking about the conversation they just had, and where it could potentially go from there.

When Nathan pulled up to Clay and Quinn's home a short while later, he could tell that Haley was in a deep thought. She'd hardly said anything the whole car ride.

"What's wrong?" He asked, turning to her and raising his eyebrows.

Haley was quiet for another second, staring out the front window, until she finally looked over at him.

Nathan recognized the look in her eyes as her determined look. She had her mind set on something again.

"You said you want to be friends," Haley said, clearing her throat and nodding at him. "But I don't."

"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows again.

"You fought for me for years, Nathan. And I know we're different people now, and we're at different stages, but I'm going to fight for you," She told him, letting out a deep breath.

"Fight for me?" He questioned, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Because, I've lost you once before, and I don't want to do it again. So you say you want to be friends, I'll respect that. But I'm going to fight for us," Haley said, nodding at him. She leaned over the center console, kissing his cheek briefly. "Hopefully I can see you again before I go. Goodbye, Nathan."

And just like that, she had gotten out of the car and hurried into the house, leaving a dumbstruck and confused Nathan in the car.

She was going to... Fight for him?


	5. Chapter 5

**I** **decided to stick with the same name as in the show, just so everyone is aware, I know that Logan is Clay and Sara's son but oh well.**

**And I ****_promise_**** I'm going to update Fix Me next! Thank you for being so patient.**

Nathan stepped inside the house he grew up in, letting out a slow deep breath, adjusting the bag on his shoulder.

"Mom? Dad?" He called out, raising his eyebrows.

It was only a moment before the one and only Deb Scott hurried into the front entry way, pulling her youngest son into a hug.

"Nathan!" Deb said, smiling brightly.

"Hey, mom," Nathan said, clearing his throat and hugging her back.

"I've missed you, honey," Deb said, rubbing his back. "Your father just made a quick trip to the store, he should be back anytime."

"I missed you too, Mom. Sorry that I couldn't make it for Thanksgiving," He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Don't worry about it, you were stuck in a snow storm in Wisconsin," Deb laughed, shaking her head. "It's been two months since I've seen you! What have you been up to?"

"Is it okay if I go drop my stuff off, and then I come back down and fill you in?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows at her.

"If you must," Deb said, gesturing towards the staircase.

Nathan smiled at her, heading up the stairs to his old bedroom. He stepped inside, letting out a deep breath at the familiarity.

He preferred the much more relaxed look the room had now than it did when he was a teenager. He inwardly cringed at the posters that used to be on the walls. The one thing that still stood was the little basketball hoop he had on the back of the door, along with the foam ball that would still be in his desk drawer. Dan would never let Deb take that down.

He looked down when his phone vibrated in his pocket, pulling it out quickly and smiling slightly.

Haley.

Oh, Haley James. The root of his problems. He had not seen her since their conversation almost a month ago, but she was also in Tree Hill for the holiday.

He was sure he wouldn't see her that much though, because Quinn and Clay were here with their brand new son, Logan. And as much as Haley loved her nieces and nephews, Quinn's baby would be special to her.

She'd be getting in tomorrow.

Honestly, he wasn't quite sure how to react to her.

They texted each other quite often, and when they had the time, they'd sneak in a phone call or a video a chat.

But she'd said that he was going to fight for him.

What that meant... He wasn't entirely sure.

He knew that he was putty in her hands. No matter what she did, he'd fall for it. That's why he'd hoped they could be friends.

But he'd fall in love with her again. So easily, and so fast. It was just a fact; Nathan would do anything for her.

He shook his head, sending Haley a quick photo that he'd taken while stuck in the back seat with Logan in the car ride to Tree Hill from Charlotte.

He wasn't sure why he'd decided to ride with them, probably because Quinn and Clay made it seem like such a great idea. But he'd most likely try and find a plane ride back because a long drive with a crying baby was not something he'd particularly enjoyed.

He let out a deep breath, dropping his bag down on the bed and shaking his head. He loved his family. But spending time with them was stressful.

Deb could be overbearing, and he chalked that up to her being a pretty absent mother until he was a junior in high school. Dan could be just as overbearing, but in a different way.

They both had good intentions, most of the time anyways, and his relationship with them was much better than it had once been, but he didn't love sitting down and talking with them.

Thankfully, Lucas would be stopping by soon.

He stepped out of the room, heading down the stairs slowly, rubbing his neck.

He heard some noise in the kitchen, following the sound.

"Are you hungry? You had quite the long drive," Deb said, looking at him and raising her eyebrows.

"No, I'm alright," He said, smiling at her. "How are you doing?"

"I've been taking some art classes from Peyton, and it has been a lot of fun," Deb informed him, nodding quickly.

Nathan grinned at that, inwardly laughing. Maybe Deb was having a lot of fun. But Peyton sure wasn't enjoying it. Lucas had complained to him about it a couple weeks ago, grumbling on an on about how Mom had joined one of Peyton's classes and she was just terrible.

"Wow, Mom, that's great," He said, nodding at her and clearing his throat.

"I'm sure you heard about Dad being the new basketball coach too," Deb said, nodding at him.

Basketball coach was a bit of a stretch. Lucas was the coach, but Dan had some how talked him into letting him be the assistant coach.

"Yeah. How's that going?" He asked, leaning against the counter.

"Really well, actually. Dan says that he's patient, and Lucas actually backs him up on that," Deb informed him, nodding.

"As long as it's not me, he doesn't care, I guess," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Sorry, that wasn't fair."

"He doesn't care, Nathan. You act like he holds a grudge against you because you didn't go to Duke, or to the NBA, but he doesn't care. We're proud of you," Deb said, reaching across the counter and resting her hand on Nathan's wrist.

Nathan had made the earlier mistake of setting his phone on the counter, and of course, it decided to vibrate, and of course, it couldn't have been Clay, or Lucas, or pretty much anyone else in the world. Nope. It was Haley, once again.

Nathan watched as Deb's eyes nosily flicked downward to his phone, before the widened at the name she saw.

"Do you go to a lot of games?" Nathan asked her quickly, lifting his phone up off the counter, briefly reading through the message, sliding it into his pocket casually.

Maybe she wouldn't bring it up if he didn't make a big deal.

"Some, but not a lot," Deb answered slowly, nodding at him. "How's work going for you?"

She was obviously still confused from the notification, but his plan of her not bringing it up had worked for now.

"Busy," Nathan answered, letting out a deep breath. "Ever since Clay went on paternity leave, I've been extremely busy."

"Ah, yes. How is little Logan?" Deb asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Pretty damn perfect," Nathan chuckled, running his hand through his hair.

"I want to meet him while they're here. They should've stopped in when they dropped you off," She said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well I think Lydia was pretty anxious to see him," Nathan said, clearing his throat and sighing softly. He needed to move away from the James family if he wanted his mom to keep her nose out of his business.

"I think she'd like to see you too," Deb said, nodding at him.

"Not likely," Nathan answered, clearing his throat. "What time did Luke say he was coming by?"

"I think pretty soon," Deb informed him. "Lee and Sawyer are bouncing off the walls excited to see you."

"I'm excited to see them," Nathan said, smiling brightly. "It seems like they grow a foot every time I see them."

"What did you get them this year?" She hummed, raising her eyebrows.

"Wouldn't you like to know," He responded, smirking slightly.

"Oh, Nathan, just tell me," Deb complained, rolling her eyes.

"No freaking way," He laughed, shrugging. He looked over when he heard the garage door opening. "There's Dad, guess we're going to have to cut this conversation short."

It was only a second before Dan walked into the room, carrying grocery bags in his arms.

"Nathan," Dan greeted him, smiling at his son. "Good to see you, son."

"Hey, dad," Nathan said, walking over and taking some of the groceries from him.

"Let me guess, still no girlfriend with you?" Dan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not this year," Nathan said, setting the groceries on the counter.

"How are we supposed to get more grand kids?" Dan asked, pulling Nathan into a brief hug when the grocery bags were all on the counter. "Lucas and Peyton say they're done, Nathan is too busy to date. Deb, I knew we should've had another one."

"Clay just had one, maybe we can take him on as our honorary grand kid," Deb suggested, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan knew Dan would veto that idea quick. He didn't like Clay that much. Nathan figured it was because he blamed him for him deciding against the NBA, but he wasn't positive on that.

"I think that kid probably has enough grandparents," Dan said, shaking his head.

"I can set up a date for you while you're in town, Nathan, if you want..." Deb suggested, looking at him.

Was she testing him? He had no idea what to say back. If he said no, she'd immediately jump to Haley most likely.

"Maybe," Nathan said, shrugging. "Depends on who it is. Plus, I'm mostly here to spend time with you guys."

"Well, it's Theresa, the girl you went to high school with. Her mom is in Peyton's art class with me. She got divorced last year and moved home. Now she sells beauty products on social media," Deb said, placing air quotes around the last part.

"In other words, she's involved in a pyramid scheme," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, Mom, I don't think I want to go on a date. Really, I'm just looking forward to a relaxing vacation with my family. Check with me in a couple days."

"Guess who I ran into at the store," Dan said, clearing his throat, beginning to put the groceries away.

"Who?" Deb asked, raising her eyebrows.

Please don't say Jimmy or Lydia James, please don't say Jimmy or Lydia, Please don't-

"Jimmy," Dan said, looking over at Nathan. "He said that Haley is going to be in town for Christmas."

"Dad," Nathan warned, shaking his head.

"What, Nathan? It's been forever, you don't need to throw a fit every time you hear her name," Dan said, looking at him.

Nathan could feel Deb staring at him suspiciously.

This was all so confusing, and he didn't want to explain it to his family.

"Apparently she's not dating that guy that she was last Christmas when she didn't come home," Dan told Deb, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dad," Nathan said again, letting out a deep breath. "Can you just drop it? Please?"

"We can talk about it later, Dan," Deb said, nodding at him then looking at Nathan.

"Someone has to say it to him, Deb. Nathan, you're not going to find someone if you hold onto the anger forever. What are you going to do if you run into her? I'm telling you as a warning. Somehow, I think this is the first year that you've both in Tree Hill for Christmas since you broke up," Dan said, shaking his head.

"Dan, just stop," Deb said, sighing softly.

"She is Lucas' best friend and he can hardly say a word without Nathan leaving the room. It's been six years, Nathan. It's a problem now," Dan scolded him.

Nathan scowled at him, letting out a deep breath. Things never changed, did they? His relationship with his dad was fine now, but there were still times when he made him feel so small.

"He just got here, Dan. Stop it," Deb ordered him, scowling at her husband.

They had what Nathan could only describe as a silent argument, before Dan clearly conceited.

Nathan sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Come on, Nathan," Deb said, shaking her head. "He's done."

"I'm done, son. I'm sorry. She's right, you just got home, you don't need me hounding you," Dan said, resting his hand on his shoulder.

"I just need to make a phone call. It's for work, and I forgot about it until now," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You promised no work," Deb said, frowning at him.

"Well, let's just call it even because you've made the same promise to me thousands of times," Nathan said, heading to the front door, sliding on his shoes and jacket, heading outside.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, sighing as it hovered over Haley's name.

What was he doing? He shouldn't do this...

But like his thumb had a mind of it's own, he tapped on her name in his call history, calling her again.

"Nathan," Haley greeted warmly after a couple of rings.

"Hey," He said, smiling slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm on my way home from school. Students got out at one, but I was grading their end of semester papers, so I stayed until three," She informed him, humming softly.

"Sounds brutal," He laughed, feeling the sense of warmth that talking to her always brought him.

"Some of them are," She laughed. "What are you doing? Didn't you just get home?"

"I did," He told her, sighing softly. "But, I'm on a walk to calm myself down. My dad can be an ass sometimes."

"Dan Scott? You're kidding," She said sarcastically.

"Yeah, and my mom has already tried to set me up on a date," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"Welcome home, Nathan," She hummed, laughing into the phone.

"I shouldn't be surprised. It's fine though," He said, sighing softly. "Have you, uh, told your parents about us?"

"Us? I didn't realize that I'd already worn you down," Haley joked.

"You know what I meant," He responded, rolling his eyes an laughing.

"No, I don't want to answer all the questions," She said, humming softly. "Should I have told them?"

"No, I mean- you could've if you wanted to, but I don't think this needs to be a big deal," He said, sighing softly. "I haven't even told Lucas."

"I haven't told him either," Haley informed him.

"I'm pretty sure my mom saw your name on my screen when you texted me though, but she hasn't asked me about it," He laughed, running his hand through his hair.

"Oh well," Haley hummed, laughing quietly. "I'm sorry your dad can be an ass."

"I'm used to it. I just needed to hear a friendly voice," He said, smiling slightly. "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Early. Like five-thirty," She groaned, shaking her head.

"Yikes. That's not fun. At least you didn't have to drive with Clay, Quinn, and Logan," He laughed.

"Stop bragging, I haven't even seen him yet," Haley pouted.

"He's cute. When he yawns- what is it with baby yawns? They turn me into mush," Nathan groaned, shaking his head. "He likes me."

"I bet he does," Haley hummed, sighing softly. "I'm excited to see him."

"I bet you are," Nathan said, turning around and letting out a deep breath when he saw a car pull into his parent's driveway from down the street. "I think Luke just pulled into the driveway, so I have to go."

"Okay, I haven't even started packing yet so that will take me all night, I'm sure I'll unpack and repack about eighty times," She said, laughing.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't. I'll text you, okay?" He said, humming softly.

"Okay," She replied. "Oh, and Nathan... I'm excited to see you too."

Nathan smiled at her words, clearing his throat. "Yeah, you too, Hales," He said, hanging up the phone, beginning to head back towards his parents house.

He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he felt better after talking to her. And now he was going to see Lee and Sawyer, and that was going to help his mood do a one-eighty.

When he approached the house, they were just getting out of the car.

"Uh, Nate, what are you doing?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows and walking over to him.

"Oh, you know, I've been home for like fifteen minutes and then I decided to take a walk because they were overwhelming me," Nathan laughed, pulling Lucas into a quick hug.

"Sounds like them. Let me guess- grand kids and dating?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"They threw the James family in there as well," He said, shrugging.

"Oh, yikes," Lucas laughed, ruffling Nathan's hair.

"Don't worry about it, Luke, I've got the kids," Peyton said sarcastically, lifting Sawyer onto the ground.

"I'm dealing with a crisis," Lucas joked, turning to her and stepping over to the car.

"Uncle Nathan!" Sawyer said, running over to him and jumping into his arms.

Nathan lifted her up and spun her around. "Sawyer! I missed you!" He said, smiling brightly.

"You didn't come for Thanksgiving!" She scolded him, frowning at him.

"I know, I was stuck in a huge snow storm," He said, shaking his head. "You know that I never would have missed seeing you on purpose."

She hugged him again, before squirming in his arms until he put her down.

Peyton approached him with Lee in her arms, smiling at him. "Hey," She hummed, handing Lee over to him.

"Peyton," Nathan said, nodding at her and smiling down at Lee. "Hey buddy," He greeted, laughing when he made a happy, squealing noise.

"Maybe we should go inside," Lucas suggested, grabbing onto Sawyer's hand.

"I guess," Nathan chuckled, following them inside.

He hoped that Deb had not told Dan about the text she saw on his phone. It was just... A delicate subject and he was treading lightly. He didn't want to bring other people into this until he figured out exactly what it was. Maybe she'd figure that she misread the name if he never said anything about it.

After a few hours of hanging out, Lucas and Peyton were ready to go back to their house. Both the sleeping children were rested on Luke's shoulder, exhausted from wrestling with Nathan all night.

Nathan expected Peyton was going to jump on him as soon as Lucas left the room to go put the kids in the car, and she did just that.

"Nathan, you never followed up," Peyton whispered to him, raising her eyebrows.

"I know, sorry. I've been pretty busy," He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He fished his phone out of his pocket, holding it out to show her that he had yet another message from Haley.

"What does it mean?" She asked, looking up at him. "Let me read," She said, gesturing for him to unlock the phone.

"No," He laughed, pushing her hand away. "We're, uh, friends," He answered, clearing his throat. "I decided to be friends, but she told me she wants to fight for me. So, we'll see how that goes. You know my willpower," He whispered, glancing around in case his parents were anywhere near. He could still hear them in the kitchen though.

"Oh yeah, good luck," Peyton laughed, tapping his chest. "I can't believe she said that. Wow."

"I know, I was pretty shocked. Honestly, I still haven't processed it," He said, sighing softly.

"We'll have to talk more about this later," Peyton said, grinning at him. "Are you going to see her?"

"Probably. I never really did the sneaking out of the house thing when I was a teenager, I pretty much walked through the front door and told my parents to screw off if they asked questions, so this is going to be fun," Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, well I have no tips. I pretty much lived alone," She said, shrugging.

He laughed, high-fiving her. "Damn, we were such a power couple," He joked, smirking at her. "We could do whatever we wanted with no one there to tell us not to do it."

"Oh lord," Peyton laughed, rolling her eyes. "Goodbye, Nathan."

"Bye, Peyt," He said, hugging her briefly. "I'll see you tomorrow," He hummed, stepping outside with her and waving at Lucas.

When the car was gone, he let out a deep breath and went back inside to face the madness.

xxxx

A smirk formed on Nathan's face as he watched Lucas try to calm down Lee, trying to stifle a laugh to not alert Sawyer that he thought it was funny.

"Stop," Lucas said, shaking his head and glaring at him.

"I'm not doing anything," Nathan said defensively.

"Lee, stop crying," Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "You can't have the cookies right now."

As expected, that made him start crying louder.

"Well..." Nathan said, tapping his hands on his legs. He looked down when Sawyer whined, letting out a deep breath when he saw her start to tear up.

"Lee, when we get to the car you can have some..." Lucas said, shaking his head quickly.

"I think I'm going to go buy some beer. Wait- is it okay to buy beer when there are kids with you?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Wait, what?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I mean... You seem to have this under control," Nathan said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Oh! I have some gummy worms in my pocket!" He said, pulling out an opened pack.

"Okay, I have so many questions as to why they are just there but that doesn't matter, hand them over. Shove some in Sawyer's mouth first, then you can go," Lucas said, nodding his head.

Nathan laughed, giving a few to Sawyer then handing the nearly empty pack to Luke. "Uh, good luck. I'll meet back up with you in a minute."

Lucas sent him a look that could only be described as a mix of desperation and annoyance, before Nathan hurried away from the tearful mess that was suing.

Perks of being an uncle and not a dad. Leaving the crying kids to go buy beer.

He tapped his fingers on his legs, letting out a deep breath as he turned down the aisle, nearly bumping into a cart that was exiting.

"Oh, sorry-" He said, looking up and raising his eyebrows at who was in front of him.

Jimmy and Lydia James were exiting the aisle, which a shit ton of alcohol in their cart.

"Nathan!" Lydia said, raising her eyebrows in surprise, a wide smile forming on her face.

"What are you guys doing?" He laughed, gesturing to their cart, shaking his head.

"Oh, you know us," Lydia said, stepping away from the cart and hugging Nathan tightly, probably tighter than any hug his own mother had ever given him.

He'd see the James family quite a few times over the years, but he generally tried to avoid them.

He just felt awkward seeing them.

Understandably, since their daughter destroyed him.

"We have quite the crew coming to our house, so we're trying to be good hosts," Jimmy informed him, smiling and hugging him quickly. "Good to see you, Nate!"

"It's good to see you guys too," He informed them, letting out a deep breath, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"We heard about the drive," Lydia laughed, patting his arm.

"It was interesting," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"You planning on riding back with them on the second?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"As of right now, unless I'm needed back sooner," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Good lord, you work too much," Lydia said, shaking her head and scowling at him.

Nathan held his hands up defensively, laughing quietly. "I work the correct amount for me."

"I was there for a week when Logan was born and didn't see you once," She said, shaking her finger at him.

"I was out of town," He defended, shrugging his shoulders.

"Your mom said you missed Thanksgiving," Lydia said, sending him a pointed look.

"Well, you can't believe everything you hear. My mom used to be a druggie, you know?" He said, shrugging.

"I saw your dad here last night and he said that you work a lot too," Jimmy said, shaking his head.

"Why are you back at the store if you were here last night?" Nathan asked him, clearing his throat.

"Imagine that, I forgot something," Jimmy said, letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Sensitive subject," Lydia informed him, rubbing Jimmy's back.

"I'll drop it," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I do work a lot. But I like it. I mean, if I didn't, I don't know what else I'd do."

"Have a life," Jimmy joked, patting his shoulder and shaking his head.

"Now I know you've been talking to my parents about it," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. "Do you mind if I..." He gestured down the aisle.

"Not at all," Jimmy said, nodding.

Nathan stepped past them, looking up at the aisle and rubbing his neck, letting out a deep breath.

"I hope there's some left, after we cleaned it all out," Lydia joked, gesturing to their cart.

"Yeah, no kidding. If you catch me sneaking in during the middle of the night, it's because you took my favorite," Nathan laughed, winking at her.

"Oh great, and he knows all the places to sneak in without us catching him," Jimmy groaned, clapping Nathan on the back and laughing.

"That I do," Nathan said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"We've since fixed the lock on Haley's window, so that won't work," Jimmy said, leaning against his own cart.

"I'd hope so after what- ten years of it being broken?" Nathan chuckled, shaking his head.

"One random guy sneaks through her window while she's home, and it's a big deal," Lydia said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "We told him that she was home, he must have just forgot."

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking over at her.

"I'm kidding," Lydia said, squeezing Nathan's arm and laughing.

"I figured," He responded, laughing quietly.

"You guys are still in this aisle-"

Nathan looked over when none other than Haley James entered the aisle.

"Nathan," She said, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

Wow. She looked beautiful. In a totally platonic way, of course. Even after waking up at three Arizona time, then a five hour flight, and probably not getting any sleep. Maybe on the flight. But at least when they were dating, she never slept on planes.

"Nathan, you remember our daughter, Haley," Jimmy joked, probably trying to alleviate some tension from the slightly awkward situation.

"I think so," Nathan said softly, clearing his throat and offering her a small smile. "Hi," He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I was a little concerned about the amount of time they were spending in here, but now I see why," Haley said, smiling and tossing the stuff from her arms into the cart. "Hi."

"We've become alcoholics in the last year. Just wanted to try it out," Lydia laughed, nodding at him.

"Oh, it's not as fun as it sounds," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Hard to decide if I had been an alcoholic or if I was just a senior in college."

"Probably a bit of both," Lydia said, nodding at him.

"We're not actually buying all of this," Jimmy said, gesturing to the cart. "We just wanted to see Haley's reaction."

"Something tells me I wouldn't have questioned it," Haley said, letting out a deep breath and stepping up to her parents side.

"Hi Haley," Nathan greeted her once again, offering her another smile.

She stepped forward, hugging him quickly and letting out a deep breath.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting to run into you here," Haley chuckled, patting his arm lightly, taking her spot next to her dad once again.

"Yeah, Luke wanted me to come with him. He's around here somewhere. Kids were crying so I bailed," Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Luke is here?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, but he's been a real bitch today," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head.

"Not to me he won't be," Haley informed him, humming softly.

Lydia laughed, starting to put some of the bottles from their car back on the shelves.

"How's my boy Logan doing?" Nathan asked, nodding at Haley.

"He's incredible," Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "I mean- I only spent a little while with him before I was forced to make a trip to the store, but he is so cute."

"He cries so much," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I don't know, I'm not around kids enough to put up with the crying."

"When they're your own, it's much worse because you're the one that has to deal with the crying," Jimmy said, shaking his head. "And then they're 28, and they call home crying and then you make them cry even harder because you make stupid jokes and they just want to talk to mom!"

"Dad," Haley said, shaking her head and letting out an annoyed sigh.

Nathan chuckled quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Lucas goes through it with me, but I say that I just want to talk to Peyton," He joked, clearing his throat.

"Now I know that's not true because no one is old enough to have a home phone anymore, well, except these two," Haley said, gesturing to her parents.

"Oh, sweet Haley. Why couldn't you stay kind forever?" Jimmy said, resting his hand over his heart.

Nathan smiled slightly, clearing his throat. "Well, I should probably get going..." He trailed off, grabbing a six pack and a couple of different bottles out of their cart, nodding at them.

"So soon?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, you know, Lucas is probably looking for me," Nathan said, offering her a smile.

"Well come give me another hug," Lydia said, gesturing for him to come over.

Nathan nodding, walking over and hugging her tightly.

Lydia pressed a kiss to his cheek, rubbing his back. "Don't be a stranger. Love you."

"You too," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "See ya later, Jimmy," He said, nodding at him. "Uh, bye Hales."

"Bye," Haley said, smiling at him.

He started to quickly head out of the aisle, beginning to poke his head down other aisles.

After a moment of walking, he heard Haley calling out to him.

"Nathan, wait!"

He turned around, raising his eyebrows at her and sending her a questioning look.

She jogged over to him, pushing him down the aisle he was closest to. "Sorry, I know they'll watch, but this way they can't."

"Alright," He said, letting out a deep breath and looking down at her, feeling much more relaxed next to her now than he had a minute ago.

"Hi," She greeted him again, a smile on her face.

"Hey," He said, returning her grin.

"I didn't think I'd see you so soon, honestly. I was really grumbling about going to the store and leaving Quinn, but this makes it better," She hummed, tapping his chest.

"I'm glad I can make a trip to the store bearable," He laughed, winking at her.

He couldn't help but flirt a little bit... I mean she was Haley. Fourteen year old Nathan would be kicking him if he didn't.

"You look nice," She complimented, rubbing her hand down his arm to 'feel how soft' the sweater he was wearing was.

"Would you believe me if I said I picked this out myself?" He chuckled, raising his eyebrows.

"Not for a second. Quinn, for sure," She said, shaking her head and smiling. "You smell good too."

"Oh yeah, also Quinn," He said, nodding at her. "I wonder what your parents are thinking right now."

"They were urging me to run after you and talk to you. I was just going to let you go and call you later," She informed him, shaking her head.

"That doesn't sound like the idea of someone who wants to win me back," He joked, clearing his throat and raising his eyebrows at her.

"I'm taking it slow," She said, humming softly. "Unless you want me to speed things up? Because I definitely can," She informed him, taking a step closer to him.

Nathan felt his heart rate skyrocket. He rarely felt nervous around women, but Haley James was a whole different story. She always had been.

"You know that I just want to be friends so your advances don't make a difference, no matter how fast or slow you go," He said quietly, his voice cracking a bit.

"Mhm," She said, standing on her toes and reaching for the shelf behind him, nearly pressed up against him now.

Nathan swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

Just friends, just friends, just friends...

"Sorry, I just needed some..." Haley whispered in his ear, grabbing the first item that her hand touched, falling back on her heels when she saw it. "Tuna fish in a can. Nice," She groaned, laughing.

Nathan started laughed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Oh, sexy," He commented, taking it from her and setting it back on the shelf.

"You couldn't have gone down a different aisle?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"You pushed me down here!" He defended, still laughing pretty hard at her failed attempt to make him break.

"Stop laughing, you jerk," She said, pushing on his chest lightly, beginning to laugh with him.

"Sorry, Hales," He defended, shaking his head. He made his voice low and husky, making eye contact with her, "Tuna fish in a can? Let me put it all over your body and eat it off you."

"Don't make fun of me," She laughed, shaking her head and grinning at him.

"You know what really gets me going? Follow me down the cat food aisle," He said, using his free hand and grabbing her wrist and pretending like he was going to pull her away quickly.

"I'm done, no more fighting for you," She said, holding up her hands to surrender. "Buddies it is."

He laughed, tugging her wrist towards him, pulling her into a hug.

"Don't you know that I'm running on no sleep? It's not nice to harass me," She said, resting her head against his shoulder, letting out a deep breath.

"That's what friends are for, Haley. It's in the rule book, I have to harass you," He said, laughing quietly. "That was so funny."

She smiled, pinching his side lightly, laughing when he jumped away. "No, that's funny."

"Don't you dare, Haley," He said, pushing at her hands.

Nathan had never been ticklish until Haley James had done it to him. And he had not been ticklish since they broke up.

She smiled, looking up at him and shaking her head. "God, I missed you," She whispered to him, letting out a deep breath.

He smiled slightly at her word, nodding slowly to show her that he agreed. He hugged her tightly once more, before releasing her and taking a step back. "I'll see you later. I really should go find Lucas."

"Yeah," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Hopefully I run into him too. Although, I don't think it will go anything like this. Never tell anyone about the tuna thing, please."

"Will do," He laughed, winking at her. "See you later, Hales..."

"Hope so. Bye, buddy," She hummed, squeezing his bicep, before practically skipping out of the aisle.

Nathan laughed to himself, turning around and grabbing the same tuna can off the shelf, shaking his head. Might as well buy this to tease her with later.

He left the aisle, glancing over his shoulder and heading off to find Lucas.

xxxx

"So, how's everything actually going?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows and passing Nathan the basketball.

After they'd returned back to their parents house, Lucas had suggested they go out and shoot hoops since they had a free babysitter in their mother.

"You know, not bad," Nathan said, shooting the ball towards the hoop, grinning when it sailed in.

"Really?" Lucas asked, looking at him again.

Nathan let out a deep breath, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know what you want me to say, Luke. Things are the same as they've always been."

"Have a girlfriend?" Lucas asked, shooting the ball when Nathan tossed it to him.

"Not at the moment," He said, breathing onto his hands to warm them up.

"A girl that comes by on those lonely nights?" Lucas questioned him, dribbling the ball on the black top driveway, before tossing it to Nathan.

"Not recently. I've been busy," Nathan informed him, shaking his head. "Clay's been out with the pregnancy, and then the baby."

"How does it feel to know that if Peyton and I ever went somewhere with Clay and Quinn, and we all died, you'd have all three kids?" Lucas asked him, laughing.

"That's kind of a dark thought," Nathan told him, scowling and shaking his head. "Spending too much time with Peyton."

"She's my wife," Lucas reminded him, laughing. "I guess the kids would all go to you and to Haley."

Nathan nodded, shooting the ball up from the free throw line, watching it sail in, before going to retrieve it.

"Speaking of..." Lucas trailed off, clearing his throat. "You weren't that freaked out when we ran into her in the store. What's up with that?"

Nathan looked over at him, passing the ball to him quickly.

A lot of little brothers dreamed of talking girls with their older brothers. But that wasn't him. Lucas and him were close, but Nathan had always had this 'I'm better than him' vibe that he'd put out when they were younger that stunted the girl-talk. Especially since Nathan had dated quite a few girls, and then dated Peyton, and then went back to dating quite a few girls until he started dating Haley. It would've been difficult for Lucas to keep up. Not to mention, two of those women were the most important women in his older brother's life.

Nathan almost smiled at the memory of them running into the three James family members again. He was pretty sure Haley had searched the whole store for Lucas. She'd found them just before they were going to check out. And when she'd seen the can in their cart, he swore she would've punched him if other people had not been around.

She really was magnificent.

"Nathan?" Lucas asked him, raising his eyebrows, bringing him from his thoughts.

"I don't know, Luke, it's been a long time. We're adults," Nathan answered, letting out a deep breath. "I'd already run into them in the store."

"You didn't tell me?" Lucas asked him, shooting the ball.

"What was I supposed to say? I didn't want to get bombarded with questions," Nathan said, going to get the rebound, jumping up and dunking it.

"So just like that... You're not going to be weird about it? Even after your freak out at Dad last night?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing.

"Freak out is a bit of an exaggerated term, but I don't know..." Nathan said, passing the ball to him. "What's the point? Would you rather I yell at her?"

"I don't know, maybe," Luke said, shaking his head. "I mean, I love her, but you never had your chance to yell at her."

Nathan felt a little bit guilty for not telling Lucas any of the thoughts going through his head. When this all eventually comes out, he was going to be the one to get upset that he didn't know they'd been talking again. His brother and his best friend. And his wife had played her own hand in this all.

Not to mention, there's no way he could trust his mom to not talk to anyone about it. If she told his dad, then his dad would use it as leverage somehow.

"Hey, Luke... I have to tell you something," Nathan said, clearing his throat and looking at him.

Lucas looked over, raising his eyebrows. "Okay..."

"The thing is..." Nathan trailed off, rubbing his neck.

"Oh, wait. I'm getting a call," Lucas said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Speak of the devil," He chuckled, looking at Nathan. "Can I answer this?"

"Go ahead," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"Hey," Lucas answered, a smile forming on his face. "Nothing, I'm just shooting some hoops at my parents house."

Nathan tapped his hands on his legs, catching the ball when Lucas passed it to him.

"I don't know, I'll have to check. You can pretty much count Peyton and I in though. I'm sure she'll be fine," Lucas laughed, clearing his throat. After a moment, he hummed softly. "Are you sure?"

Nathan stepped back, shooting the ball into the hoop and shaking his head.

"Okay, well if you're sure, I'll ask," Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll talk to you later, Hales. Bye."

Nathan went to retrieve the ball, running his hand through his hair.

"So, a few of our friends from high school are getting together tonight. You know, Skills, Mouth, those guys," Lucas said, clearing his throat.

"Yes, I can watch the kids," Nathan laughed, trying to ease the tension that was building up inside of him. He knew that wasn't what Lucas was going to ask him to do, but it felt right to make a joke.

"Yeah, after the store? No way," Lucas laughed, rolling his eyes. "Haley actually wanted to know if you wanted to come too."

Nathan paused, looking over at Lucas and letting out a deep breath.

Should he go?


	6. Chapter 6

**I have to tell you guys... I am having such a blast with this story. (If you can't tell by the quick updates!) Thanks for not letting it just be a one shot.**

**And thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, each one makes me want to continue writing. I mean it. I'm so thankful.**

**P.S. I love writing flirty Haley. Usually I have Nathan kind of "fight for her" but I love writing him nervous and trying to prolong the inevitable. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath as he leaned against the bar, tapping his hands slowly.

"What can I get you?"

The dark haired bartender asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"What do you recommend?" Nathan asked, sighing softly.

"Oh, have I got the drink for you, my friend," He laughed, stepping away from the bar. He returned a moment later with a bright blue drink in his hand, setting it in front of him. "This, is a Brain Blaster."

Nathan raised his eyebrows, picking up the drink, taking a sip of it. He looked at the bartender again, shaking his head. "Dude, this is gross."

"What?" He asked, frowning. "No it's not."

"Yeah, it is," Nathan laughed, setting the drink down and shaking his head. "Gross. Have you ever tried it?"

"Yeah! Well... No," He said, leaning against the bar. "I've heard it's bad luck."

"To try the drink you've made before you serve it? I don't think that's right," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "A bartender that doesn't know how to make drinks?"

"Bar manager, actually," He corrected him, tapping on his name tag. "I usually keep my distance from the bar, but... We're short staffed tonight..." He said, nodding around, before his eyes flickered over to a girl that was sitting at the end of the bar.

"Well..." Nathan looked down at the name tag on his chest. "Chase, I'm Nathan. And if you need any help, I'd be happy to jump over the bar and show you my skills. I don't want to brag, but I was in a frat my senior year of college."

"Unless you're looking for a job, I'm not really supposed to do that," Chase responded, laughing quietly.

"I think that it will be okay," Nathan gestured around, laughing. "Peyton is my sister in law and Deb is my mom."

"Oh! You're that Nathan," Chase said, nodding. "Yeah, you can make your own drink if mine suck."

"They do. Don't make this drink ever again until it's improved," Nathan joked, gesturing to the brain blaster.

"Hi, Mia!" Chase cut the conversation short when the woman Nathan had noticed him looking at earlier had walked over.

"Hi Chase," She greeted him, smiling brightly. "Do you think I could get a drink?"

"Long island iced tea?" Chase asked her, smiling at her.

"You know me so well," Mia hummed, winking at him.

Chase quickly made the drink while Nathan and Mia stood awkwardly next to each other at the bar, making small talk.

Once he returned, he handed it over to her, another dopey smile on his face. "Here, Mia," He said, handing it over to her. "Let me know if I can get you anything else, Mia." He hummed, clearing his throat. "You look great tonight, Mia."

Mia, Nathan was positive that was her name now, smiled at him with a blush, then walked back to the group of friends at the other end of the bar.

"I think I blacked out for a second," Chase said, shaking his head. "What happened?"

"You said her name way too many times when talking to her," Nathan laughed, sipping from the bottle in his hands. "Every sentence, dude. It was bad."

"I read on one of those Facebook articles that girls like when you say their name," Chase told him, shaking his head and sighing softly.

"They do, but not that much," Nathan told him, shrugging his shoulders. "If you say it so much it's just awkward, right Chase? Saying their name a lot in a sentence makes them feel confused, Chase. Chase, it was just really weird, Chase."

"Okay, I get it!" Chase laughed, rolling his eyes. "You really are the meanest Scott, hm? How can you be Luke's brother?"

Nathan laughed, tapping his hand on the bar. "I was going to lay some wisdom on you, but now I'll save it to myself."

"No, wait..." Chase sighed, looking at Mia again and letting out a deep breath. "Why are you hanging out here? Don't tell me you came drinking by yourself?"

"No," Nathan said, tilting his head to where Lucas, Peyton, and Haley were sitting with their friends. "That's my ex girlfriend," He informed him, sighing softly.

"Her name is Haley, right? I've met her a couple of times," Chase said, nodding at him slowly.

"Yeah. Well... We broke up six years ago, and we haven't told anyone but we're kind of talking again. She's interested in, y'know, rekindling things, but I think it's best to stay friends," Nathan informed him, letting out a deep breath and sipping his drink again.

"She broke your heart," Chase said, to which Nathan nodded to confirm.

"And to sound totally lame, I can't go through it again," Nathan said quietly, letting out a deep breath. "But, that doesn't matter because instead of hanging out with them and falling in love with her again- I'm going to help you, my new good friend Chase, finally work up the courage to ask out that lovely lady."

"And you're the master?" Chase asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "Since we're talking about our lives, I had my heart broken when my girlfriend of four years cheated on me last year, so I've been off my game. Where does that put me?"

"In a bad place," Nathan said, smiling sympathetically at him. "But, Chase, I'm going to help you get your head back in the game."

"And, Nathan, I'm going to help you not fall back in love with Haley tonight," Chase said, bumping his fist against Nathan's and laughing.

Nathan laughed, nodding. "Good man. So, how long have you known this girl?"

"About a month and a half. She just moved to town and she's in a band," Chase said, nodding at him. "They play here every Friday night. The lead singer is a piece of shit, and it seems like they're kinda the on again, off again couple."

"Musician. Nice," Nathan chuckled, smiling at him. "What else?"

"But he's human garbage. The songs are just okay, but I've heard Mia warming up on her own before and she's incredible," Chase said, smiling down the bar at her, before looking back at Nathan quickly.

"You know, Peyton would probably ask her to perform solo if she knew, she doesn't generally put up with bullshit," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"He's always pretty okay when Peyton is around though. Or Deb. But, they're not always here, especially while they're warming up," Chase said, sighing softly. "But Mia, wow... She has a voice. But it's been drowned out by an entitled white man. Typical," He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I'm hoping they're off again right now, yeah?" Nathan said, raising his eyebrows.

"I think so. I think they've been broken up almost the whole time they've been here," Chase said, smiling over at Mia when he caught her eye.

"Well, I can tell that you're just here working for her, because you definitely aren't short staffed, at least not right now. There are not that many people here, and you've been talking to me all night while the other bartender was getting the twenty people in here drinks," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Chase asked him, nodding at Mia.

"Yeah, she's cute, man," Nathan agreed, smiling at Chase. "And I'm going to help you score a date with her tonight. Do you think you can hop away from the bar?"

"Yes," Chase said quickly, nodding at him.

Nathan nodded at him when he came around, letting out a deep breath. "So, we won't be playing any games with her tonight. Got it? No jealousy, nothing. Well... Maybe I'll send someone over while you're talking to her so that you can say you're busy. Girls love having your full attention, probably as much as we love having there's."

"Okay, sounds good," Chase said, letting out a deep breath. "What's the plan?"

"They like when you're not afraid to make a fool out of yourself. So sit tight, I will be right back. I'm going to use my owner's son privileged rights to help with this," Nathan laughed, hurrying away quickly. He headed over to the table where Peyton was sitting, nodding at everyone quickly, before leaning down and whispering in her ear.

A moment later, Peyton stood up quickly and hurried away, while Nathan walked back over to Chase.

"What's going on?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm going to introduce you to the beauty of laughter. You don't seem like you've had that much fun, and I'm a lot of fun. Well, I used to be," Nathan laughed, patting Chase's shoulder.

"I have plenty of fun," Chase grumbled, shaking his head.

"Not in the last year you haven't. So let loose, and trust me," Nathan laughed, smirking slightly.

"I've only known you for about twenty minutes, dude," Chase reminded him, sighing and glancing over his shoulder at Mia. "Fine."

A minute later, Peyton stepped out on stage, a huge grin on her face.

"Okay, guys. We weren't doing karaoke tonight, but we're going to make an exception because a there has been a very special request," Peyton began, nodding at Nathan. "One song. One performance. Two legends. Give it up for Nathan Scott and Chase Adams!"

Chase looked at Nathan quickly, shaking his head. "You're kidding me."

"Come on, buddy. I'm your new best friend, we have to do this," Nathan said, pushing him forward. "This is your moment, man. She'll love this."

"You know what? Fine," He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Okay, let's bust a move," Nathan said, dragging him up onto the stage.

After the total embarrassment of a whole song, Nathan and Chase both jumped off the stage, laughing.

"Dude, that was crazy," Chase laughed, pushing him lightly and shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, it was fun," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Guys, that was incredible!"

Chase turned around quickly when Mia hurried up to them, laughing.

"Not even close to anything you could do," Chase complimented, smiling at her.

"Oh, I think this was even better. I better hope Peyton let's me keep my spot in the line up after that performance. You might be off bar manager duty, and on to performing," Mia said, patting his arm.

"More like hopefully I don't get fired after she heard my terrible singing," Chase laughed, smiling at her.

"Hey, do you want to come sit with me? My friends are leaving, but I'd love to hang out with you," Mia said, nodding up at him.

Chase looked over his shoulder at Nathan, "Nate, buddy-"

Nathan laughed, nodding. "Dude. Go." He said, gesturing for them to go sit down.

'Thank you' Chase mouthed to Nathan, before quickly following Mia to her previous seat.

Nathan chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking over when the group he came with rushed over to him.

"Nathan, that was insane," Peyton said, laughing loudly.

"I just wish I had filmed it," Lucas laughed, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing so hard.

"I think I need to teach you some moves," Mouth said, patting Nathan's shoulder. "It's okay, young one. Someday you will learn."

"I just have one question..." Peyton said, shaking her head. "Why?"

Nathan tilted his head towards Chase and Mia, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, that's so nice," Peyton laughed, ruffling Nathan's hair. "Isn't he supposed to be working? He practically begged me to let him bartend tonight."

"Let it go," Nathan said, smirking slightly.

"Fine," Peyton said, clearing her throat.

"Man, that was awesome," Skills said, fist bumping Nathan. "All to help little old Chase get a date."

"What can I say? I've gone soft in my old age," Nathan said, rubbing his neck and letting out a deep breath.

"I think you aced it," Haley commented, offering him a smile.

"Why, thank you," He laughed, tipping his head in her direction. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go get another drink."

He stepped away, heading back to the bar, letting out a deep breath and ordering another beer.

It was only a moment before Haley appeared next to him, a grin on her face.

"I don't want to hear anything from you, Hales," He laughed, shaking his head and looking at her.

"That was so awesome," She said, winking at him. "Like, really, really great."

"I do what I can to get other guys laid," Nathan hummed, clearing his throat and shrugging.

"A true hero," She said, letting out a deep breath, looking up at him. "I wish you would have spent time with us though."

"I really was planning on coming back, but Chase is pretty cool," He laughed, shrugging. "Not to mention, I was able to show off my singing and dancing skills."

Haley smiled at him, laughing and shaking her head. "You were absolutely incredible. Blew me out of the water."

"Really? You were impressed by that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking at her.

"More than impressed," She hummed, winking at him. "I thought it was cute, that's for sure. In general, and then when I learned why you did it. I didn't know you could be such a softie."

"I think you know better than anyone that I have a heart," He said, looking at her and shrugging his head.

"I guess that's true," She hummed, glancing over her shoulder. "Nathan Scott, Tree Hill's bad boy with a soft spot for love."

"Bad boy is a bit extreme," He laughed, smirking at her.

"I know," She hummed, ordering another drink and letting out a deep breath.

He took a moment to admire her again while she was distracted, smiling slightly. "You should've ordered the brain blaster while Chase was working. So good."

"Yeah, I will never make that mistake again," Haley laughed, looking at him and rolling her eyes. "Don't think you can trick me into that one."

"Has everyone tried it?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Everyone," She assured him, shaking her head.

"Why doesn't anyone tell him it's bad?" He laughed, leaning against the bar and grinning at her.

"Well... The time I had it, it was my first time ever meeting him and I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I just drank it," Haley hummed, laughing.

"You drank the whole thing?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes," She laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh, Hales," He laughed, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I feel for you."

She smiled at him, letting out a deep breath. "Why don't we head back to the group?"

"What? So we can ignore each other and be awkward all night?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I don't know, Hales. Honestly, I'd rather just stand here and talk to you. You think I'm here to hang out with Junk and Fergie?"

"Well, do you think I'm here to hang out with them? I mean, I love everyone over there, but I just wanted to see you again," Haley informed him, humming softly. "I see them every time I come home."

"I don't know. I think I might just head out, honestly," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't," She said, shaking her head and looking at him. "I think you should stay."

He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath.

"Come on, Nathan," She said, smiling back at him. "I want to hang out with you."

"I'll stay for a little bit longer," He said, leaning against the bar and smiling at her.

"You're the best," She said, squeezing his arm lightly and letting out a deep breath.

He opened his mouth to say something, before a third party appeared next to him.

"Oh my gosh! Nathan Scott!"

Both Nathan and Haley looked down down the bar to none other than...

"Oh, hey Theresa," Nathan said, offering her a slight nod and then a smile.

Things were about to get painfully awkward.

He glanced around Tric until his eyes landed on Chase, who gave him a thumbs up.

Great, Chase had sent her over in an attempt to get Haley away most likely. But little did he know, Nathan would much rather be talking to Haley than Theresa. Well, he'd much rather be talking to Haley than anyone, really. But Chase could not have picked a worse girl to send over to him.

Theresa was beautiful, that's for sure. But since he'd been home (all of about twenty-eight hours) his mom had offered to set him up with Theresa like three or four times.

"I didn't know that you were here," Theresa commented, smiling brightly at him. "But, I must say, your performance was fantastic."

"Thanks," Nathan chuckled, taking a sip from the bottle in his hand. "You, uh, remember Haley," He said, taking a small step back so they were in better view of each other.

"Yes, of course!" Theresa said, smiling politely at Haley. "I didn't realize that you two were together again."

Nathan was going to let it slide and let her believe it, because he honestly did not want to spend the night talking with her. He wanted to talk to Haley for another hour, then go home.

"We're not," Haley said, patting Nathan's shoulder. "Just here as friends."

"Oh," Theresa hummed, leaning against the bar. "Well, Haley, I do have something to talk to you about later that I think you'll be interested in."

Nathan almost choked on his drink trying to stifle the laugh that was bubbling in his throat. He glanced down at Haley, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah, sounds good," Haley said, resting her hand on Nathan's back. "I'm going to go sit back down."

"Okay," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "I'll join you in a second."

As soon as Haley was gone, Theresa had suddenly been much closer to him.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat.

"I'm actually sober," Theresa informed him, her hand reaching up to brush some nonexistent lint off his shoulder.

"Water?" Nathan asked, looking down at her.

"Would be lovely," Theresa hummed, nodding at him. "What sparked that incredible performance tonight? In high school, you never would've done that. Well... Except for at the auctions."

"Oh, wow. Haven't thought about that in years" Nathan cringed inwardly. The auctions. Yikes. Something he'd never forget. Every year, I hoped that Haley would buy him, and ever year he was disappointed. Always some girl that wanted to date him. In fact... He was pretty sure Theresa had actually bought him once year. Oh, this was just not going to be fun.

When he ordered her water, Theresa grabbed his arm to thank him, and he swore it was like she burned him with hot metal.

He just wanted Haley, he really did. He knew they had to stay friends, but he didn't want other people feeling up his bicep, or touching him at all.

He glanced over his shoulder to where she was, making eye contact with her and offering her a small smile.

"So, what have you been up to? I think your mom told my mom something about sports?" Theresa asked him, laughing. "Sorry, it's hard to focus on what my mom is telling me during a spin class."

"Yeah, I'm an agent," He informed her, smiling slightly. "Graduated college, started a business with my friend and it really grew," He hummed, clearing his throat.

"That's fascinating," Theresa said, shaking her head. "I always thought you'd go to the NBA."

"I considered it for a little while, but I'm really happy where I'm at right now, y'know?" He said, shrugging slightly.

"That's what's most important," Theresa said, smiling at him.

He nodded, smiling at her response. Maybe if he didn't feel like one giant mess right now, he really could enjoy spending time with her. She seemed... Alright.

"What have you been up to?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, I got married and then got divorced a year later and moved back here," Theresa said, gesturing around. "Honestly, it's been a little rough, but things have been looking up. It's a little hard during this time of year when I meet up with my friends from school, and they're happy and having kids while I'm still trying to figure things out."

He nodded, sending her an empathetic look and letting out a deep breath, taking a sip of his drink.

"Can I just say that you look fantastic?" Theresa said, taking a step back and looking it over. "I mean, you've really kept things tight."

Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, y'know, I find exercise a great way to blow off steam."

"Well whatever you're doing is really working. You look great," She gushed, smiling at him.

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself," He complimented, offering her a small nod. "Let me guess- spin class?"

"Oh, wow, you listen," She hummed, taking a step closer to him, resting her hand on his chest. "You were kind of a jerk in high school, so it's nice to see that you've really grown into a gentleman."

"Yeah, well if I remember, you weren't exactly the nicest either," He informed her, laughing and shaking his head.

"Oh, honey, I'm still not the nicest," She said, winking at him, before taking a sip of her water, fiddling with the collar of his shirt lightly.

Nathan swallowed thickly. He knew that the whole group of friends that he came with was probably watching, and that Haley was probably fuming on the inside.

She wasn't his girlfriend, so it didn't technically matter, but damn did he feel guilty.

"So, Nathan, I'm guessing you don't have a girlfriend," Theresa said, almost as if she read his thoughts.

He looked down at her, shaking his head. "Not currently, no. My work schedule is pretty demanding so I don't really have the time."

"I see," She nodded, tapping her fingers on the bar. "Well lucky me then. I'm surprised, though. You seem to be a catch. Not to mention, you look great in that shirt and blue just happens to be my favorite color."

Nathan glanced down at his shirt, before looking at her and shrugging his shoulders. "Thanks," He said, clearing his throat and shifting slightly.

He let out a deep breath when Haley approached the bar once again, taking her previous spot on the other side of him.

If he could have sank into the floor than he would. Why did this have to be so complicated for him? Why couldn't he just have kept hanging out with Chase all night?

He stayed quiet while Haley ordered several different drinks, tapping his fingers on the bar lightly.

He cast a quick glance in her direction, making eye contact with her and smiling slightly.

"Hi again," Theresa greeted her with a tight smile, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, hi," Haley hummed, nodding over at her.

He looked over his shoulder, looking at Peyton and sending her a stressed look.

A look that she laughed at. Dammit. She must've been near drunk.

He envied that. Maybe if he followed in her footsteps, this would all be a little bit easier.

He picked up his beer, taking a long drink, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I just have a bit of a headache," He informed her, clearing his throat, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt lightly.

"Maybe you should sit down," Theresa said, raising her eyebrows at him. "Or drink some water."

"Yeah, Nathan," Haley agreed, nudging him lightly. "Maybe you should sit down. I'm sure Theresa would have no trouble finding a place for you two."

Maybe she wasn't fuming? It was hard to tell... Maybe she was actually... Enjoying this?

"Oh, yes! Nathan, I know exactly the place we can go!" Theresa said, nodding at him.

"Thank you, Theresa!" Haley said, rubbing Nathan's back lightly. "Why don't you go with her?"

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking over at Haley, sending her a confused look. She seemed to find this funny.

"Come on," Theresa grabbed his hand, smiling up at him.

He could tell that Haley didn't quite like that, but she kept the smile on her face.

"Sure, just... Let me get a couple more drinks..." Nathan said slowly, ordering himself two more beers, glancing at Haley. "Theresa," He said, clearing his throat. "Do you mind if I have a quick word with Haley before we go?"

"Oh, go right ahead," Theresa hummed, sending Haley Nathan could only identify as a thankful look, before walking away, humming softly.

"What's your angle here, James?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking at her.

"To find you someone that can make you happy," Haley said, grinning up at him. "Oh wait, I have, and it's me."

He laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I'm not quite sure how pushing me into Theresa is going to somehow get us back together."

Haley smiled up at him, shaking her head. "You're cute, Nathan. You know that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, leaning against the bar. "I try."

"I have no problems sending you off with her, simply because I'm not jealous," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh really? And why is that?" He asked her, clearing his throat.

"Because you're a good guy," Haley hummed, patting his arm. "And you aren't going to sleep with her. So why should I care?"

He raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms. "And what makes you say that?"

"Because she's not right for you," She informed him, shaking her head.

"Now, Hales, I don't think that's stopped me in the past," He whispered, smirking slightly.

"Maybe not, but... You won't do it," She laughed, looking up at him. "I bet she tries to kiss you and you don't let her."

"What if I like her?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders.

"You don't," Haley hummed. "I know your signs and your body language, and it couldn't have changed that much in six years."

He swallowed, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath.

She was right. There was only one person in this whole place that he was attracted to, and it was her. Sure, Theresa was super beautiful, but she wasn't Haley.

"In fact, I'd be willing to bet on it," She hummed, raising her eyebrows at him suggestively, tempting him to take her up on her offer.

"A bet? On what? If I kiss her?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "Well now I'm going to do it just to win."

"You won't," She hummed out, grinning up at him. "If I win... Hm..." She tapped her chin, looking up at him. "You have to let me take you on a date. Oh! And, your family has to come to the Christmas party my parents are throwing this year."

"Okay..." He said, shaking his head and laughing. "And if I win?"

"You can pick that one," Haley said, leaning against the bar and looking up at him.

"You have to buy some of the stuff that she sells," Nathan said, tilting his head over to Theresa slightly.

Haley rolled her eyes, laughing and nodding. "Fine. Good luck."

He shook his head, picking up the bottles and nodding at her. "Don't worry, Hales. It's all going to be alright."

"Oh, you don't have to assure me, Nathan. I know what's going to happen," She said, winking at him.

"See you on the other side," He said, hitting his glass against hers, heading over to Theresa, making sure to hold both of the bottles in one hand, using his free hand to hold onto hers.

"Ready?" Theresa asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Absolutely," Nathan said, grinning at her, following after her when she pulled him outside.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise when she lead him to what he assumed was her car, getting in the front passenger seat.

This was going to be a weird night.

xxxx

Nathan blinked his eyes open, rubbing his hand over his head at the throbbing pain. He was never getting drunk again. Ever.

He let out a deep breath, shaking his head, suddenly realizing that he was not alone in bed. Nor was he in his room.

In fact, he knew this room very well. But... He had to glance over at the person next to him to ensure that he was where he thought he was.

Yep. Haley James was in his bed once again. Actually, he was in her bed this time.

What the hell was wrong with him? How could he let himself fall to her yet again?

He sighed softly, noticing his clothes piled on the ground next to the bed. He carefully picked up each article of clothing, putting them on as quickly as he could.

He smoothed out his tousled hair, rolling out of bed slowly, squinting his eyes at the sunlight that hit them. Damn, his head was pounding.

Where was his phone? How did they even get here? He figured he was too drunk to drive, and Haley wouldn't have slept with him if she'd been sober while he'd been drunk, so she must have been drunk as well. There's no way Lucas dropped them off, so they must have taken a car here.

He knelt down, finding his phone under the bed and letting out a deep breath, squinting at the notifications.

'Maybe: Theresa; Hey, Nate! It's Theresa. Just letting you know I had a fun time last night. I hope to see you again soon! ;)'

He sighed softly, shaking his head and moving on to the next.

'Lucas: Mom called me wondering where you were like you aren't a grown ass man. I just told her the truth, sorry dude!'

Okay, that one was from an hour ago.

He glanced at the clock, shaking his head. It was only nine. Why did his mom care where he was?

Okay, moving on.

He'd missed a phone call from his mom, but he'd be home soon enough.

He couldn't help but wonder where Lucas told Deb that he was. Did Lucas know that he was at Haley's house.

He let out a deep breath, taking a seat on the bed, sliding his shoes on quickly.

A new text came in, from yet another number he didn't recognize.

'Dude! You're definitely the best wingman I've ever had. I had the best night!'

'Sorry, it's Chase. I got your number from Peyton. I owe you big time.'

Nathan chuckled quietly, deciding to text him back later, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

He finally let himself look over at Haley again, a small smile gracing his lip.

As if the thought hadn't constantly been running through his mind since they reconnected, it popped up again. She was so beautiful.

It wasn't fair that he had to have a hot ex girlfriend that still wanted him. Let alone one that he'd never been able to say no to in his life.

She was laying on her stomach, the blankets pulled up fairly high, giving him only a view of her bare shoulders.

If he traveled the length of her back, he'd find her '23' tattoo that she'd gotten for him a long time ago.

She was practically glowing from the sunlight hitting her.

She was an angel. A seductive, manipulative angel.

He let out a deep breath, resting his hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly.

It took her a moment, but she finally turned her head so that she was squinting up at him. "Nathan," She breathed out, clearing her throat. "Hi."

"Hey," He whispered back, looking down at her and smiling slightly. "Did you drug me last night?"

She laughed, rolling onto her back, holding the comforter up to her chest and shaking her head. "You know, I don't think so. I may have."

"Probably," He said, smiling down at her and letting out a deep breath. "This is bad."

"It's not that bad," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "People hook up all the time."

"We don't, Hales," He said, gesturing between them. "This isn't us."

"It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to mean anything," She told him softly, smiling up at him. "My head is killing me."

"Mine too," He said, letting out a deep breath. "Do you remember anything?"

Haley squeezed her eyes shut, before looking up at him again. "I remember you going outside with Theresa, then drinking my fair share of everyone at the tables drinks."

"How did we get back to your house?" He asked her quietly, shaking his head.

"I have no idea. I don't even remember exactly how we ended up together," She said, shaking her head and laughing.

"The last thing I remember is being with Theresa in her car," He said, rubbing his eyes.

Haley smiled at him, raising her eyebrows.

"What is that look?" He asked her, laughing and shaking his head.

"You just can't resist me, Nathan Scott, and you're going to come to realize that soon," She told him, reaching over and patting his arm.

Oh, he was fully aware that he couldn't resist her. Even now he wanted to rip all his own clothes off and relive the previous night all over again.

But he couldn't, and he wouldn't. Drunk Nathan might disagree, but hungover Nathan knew it was a bad idea. She'd have to get him pissed or drunk if this was going to happen again.

Which it wouldn't.

Probably.

"You're full of yourself, Haley," He informed her, smiling down at her.

She bit her lip, looking up at him and shaking her head, raising her eyebrows.

"I should probably go, hm?" He said, standing up slowly.

"You could always stay for breakfast, I'm sure my family would be thrilled we had sex last night," Haley hummed, winking at him, sitting up slowly, still holding the blankets.

"Hm... Pass," He said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going to jog down the block and call a car, probably."

"Okay," She said, smiling at him. "You know how to get out?"

Nathan walked to her window, unlocking it and sliding it open. "I'm a pro at sneaking out of this bedroom," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"That you are," She said, laughing quietly.

Nathan was half way out the window, before a memory from last night came to his mind. He looked over at her. "She kissed me," He said, clearing his throat.

"What's the verdict?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You were right," He said, sighing softly.

She smiled triumphantly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm not going to brag."

"That's a first," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "So, I'll see you later, I guess?"

"Definitely," Haley hummed, winking at him. "Good luck finding your way down."

He laughed, nodding at her and climbing out the window.

As promised, he found his way down fairly easily, running a hand through his hair.

Okay... Go to the next block and then call a ride back to his parents' house.

"Nate?"

Clay. Of course.

He turned to see his best friend slow from his jog, pulling his headphones out of his ears and raising his eyebrows.

"Clay," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "Hey."

"Again? Really?" Clay asked him, laughing and shaking his head. "It better have been Haley and not Taylor."

"Can you give me a ride?" Nathan asked him, kicking at the ground and sighing.

"Yeah," Clay laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Sit tight, I'll go in and get my keys."

Nathan shivered slightly as the cool morning air hit him, hiding behind the side of the house while he waited for Clay to come back.

This was a mess.

Clay walked back outside a moment later, unlocking his car and getting in without a word, Nathan following quickly.

"Look-" Nathan began, sighing softly.

"You don't have to explain," Clay cut him off, shrugging his shoulders. "You and Haley could never keep your hands off each other. How could you think after six years it would be different?"

"It is," Nathan defended, clearing his throat. "It's not going to happen again."

"Until it does," Clay chuckled, shaking his head. "And hopefully it's not someone else that sees you sneaking out. Someone with a bigger mouth, that doesn't care if you're trying to figure all of this out or not."

"I'm going to go back to her, aren't I?" Nathan asked him, leaning against the seat, letting out a defeated sigh.

"If I had a gun held to my head, and I had to answer that question honestly, most likely," Clay laughed, smirking at him. "You told me that she said she was wrong, and now she's trying to make it right."

"But I don't know if I want her," Nathan defended lamely, rolling his eyes at himself.

"I feel like that's bullshit, but you're going to have to tell her that straight up if it's true," Clay said, glancing at him.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, my head is pounding," Nathan said, leaning back and letting out a deep breath.

"Ah, the wonders of getting drunk," Clay laughed, clapping Nathan on the shoulder lightly.

Nathan sighed, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, looking down at his wrinkled shirt.

A few minutes later, they pulled up to the Scott household.

Nathan turned to Clay, shrugging his shoulders. "See you later, man. Actually... I guess I'll see you at the Christmas party Jimmy and Lydia are throwing. I promised Haley I would go."

"Dutiful boyfriend," Clay said, winking at him.

"Dutiful old friend," Nathan corrected him, shrugging his shoulders. "Bye, Clayton."

"Farewell, Nathan. I'm so happy I could uber you to save you from the walk of shame," Clay laughed, waving at him.

Nathan got out of the car, shaking his head and sighing. He waved at Clay, before walking into the house slowly, pushing open the front door.

"Here he comes, the walk of shame," Dan Scott announced, a grin on his face as Nathan walked into the kitchen.

"I have no shame," Nathan corrected him, clearing his throat. "Okay, maybe a little."

"So happy you're back. Maybe next time you could call?" Deb suggested, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm twenty-seven, Mom," Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

"So you must have really liked Theresa, hm? I knew you would be a good pair," Deb hummed, winking at him.

He would normally be weirded out that his mom just commented on his sex life, but he was a little confused by it.

Theresa?

Lucas must have seen him leave with Theresa, and then not seen him actually leave with Haley.

"This is getting a little too weird for me," He commented, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nice choice, Deb," Dan commented, grinning at his son. "Maybe there is hope for you after all, son."

"I'm going upstairs now," Nathan groaned, shaking his head and walking out of the room.

He heard his parents laughing at his obvious discomfort towards their comments as he exited. With a soft sigh, he ascended the staircase and walked into his room, another text coming through.

This time it was from Haley.

'Hope you're ready for our date. I'll keep you posted.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Another quick update. Love this story!**

Nathan fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, before switching to the zipper of his jacket, moving it up and down and up and down.

Haley had yet to tell him where they were going.

They'd just been driving. For close to an hour now. She'd gotten on the freeway out of town, and that was all he knew.

"Um, Hales?" He began, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat. "Where exactly are we going?"

She looked at him and smiled, raising her eyebrows. "Nervous?"

"Just worried you're taking me out here to kill me," He laughed, shrugging slightly.

"I knew you were smart, I just didn't think you'd catch on this fast," Haley laughed, winking at him.

Honestly, he'd felt really weird about going on their date. In their hometown. Not to sound conceited, but people knew him around town. His jersey was hung on the wall, and Tree Hill loved basketball. And he was Dan Scott's son, which drew in more attention. Oh, and Deb Scott's son which added even more. The list went on.

And he was going on a date with Haley. Which put a whole new twist of strange. And something he never thought he'd do ever again.

He tried to think of big moments in their relationship that happened outside of Tree Hill, to figure out if this was going to be a grand gesture to spark a memory.

But nothing came to him.

The sky was dark, not just because it was night, but because there were dark rainclouds, but rain had yet to fall.

It was coming though.

"To answer your question," She hummed, glancing over at him. "I wanted to get out of Tree Hill. Too many people will get into our business."

"I see," He responded, smiling slightly.

It had been a few days since he woken up next to her, and they had not really spoken much. She'd been busy with her family, and he'd been busy with his.

So when she texted him, he was pretty surprised. He figured they'd get the date over with after Christmas, but she had other plans. And the James Family Christmas was tomorrow, so if this went very poorly, things might get awkward.

He'd probably bail on the whole thing if it went bad.

"So what have you been up to?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out with my family. Sawyer and Lee rock my world," He said, chuckling quietly. "You?"

"They are cute kids," She hummed, nodding her head. "Pretty much the same. Things can get pretty loud at my house."

"I never would have guessed that," He said sarcastically, smiling at her.

"I remembered a few more things about a couple of nights ago," She informed him, glancing over.

"Do I even want to know?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing.

"You came on to me," Haley told him, a triumphant grin forming on her face.

"I won't believe that until I remember it," He laughed, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"It's true," She said, shrugging slightly. "I was walking out because I wanted to leave earlier than everyone, and you were standing outside," She said, glancing over at him.

"I can't remember how I ditched Theresa," He said, sighing softly. "I just remember leaning away when she kissed me, but that's it. It must have been polite enough though, because she texted me and told me she had a good time."

"She did?" Haley asked, sitting up straighter and looking over at him. "How did she get your phone number?"

He raised his eyebrows, smirking slightly. "I probably gave it to her. Why?"

"No reason," Haley said, shaking her head.

"Come on, Hales, we did have a millisecond make out session before I realized what was going on. Should I kiss her and diss her?" He laughed, shrugging.

"You didn't kiss her, she kissed you," Haley corrected him, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Yeah, well my mom thinks she's pretty much my girlfriend now," Nathan said, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Haley asked him, laughing. "Why?"

"Lucas told her that I spent the night at her house," He responded, leaning back against the seat and crossing his arms.

"Oh no," Haley laughed, glancing at him.

"And she thinks I'm with her right now," He said, sighing softly. "I may not have told her I was with her, but I implied it- just a little bit."

"This is going to be a mess," She hummed, shaking her head.

"Definitely," He said, shrugging. "You know, I was going to let Theresa believe that we were dating the other night."

"I know," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You didn't know that," He argued, rolling his eyes. "Why would you say that you knew?"

"Because I did know!" She laughed, looking over at him. "Why won't you accept that I know you, Nathan? When you're about to lie, you twitch you shoulders just a tiny bit. I know you."

He looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "Where are we going, Hales?"

She gestured towards the next exit sign, looking over at him.

"It's weird that someone out there knows me that well," Nathan said after a moment of silence, glancing at her. "Well enough to know my little odd habits, which, by the way, you can never tell anyone the lying thing."

"I won't," She hummed, smiling slightly.

After a few more minutes of small talk, they pulled up to a diner that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

"Do you remember this place?" Haley asked him, looking over at raising her eyebrows.

"No," He admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"We got into a huge fight while we were driving to Tree Hill from Charlotte, and we stopped here to eat. I don't even remember what we were fighting about, but we didn't talk for a couple of days," She said, smiling at him.

"Wait..." He said, looking out the window. "And we were both starving, but neither of us ate anything and just passive-agreesively ordered coffee at like eight o'clock at night."

"And it made me so annoyed because you hardly like coffee," She laughed, rolling her eyes at him.

"And I was so annoyed because if you drink coffee that late, there's no way you would have been able to sleep," Nathan chuckled, smiling at her. "We were dumb."

"Yeah, we were," She agreed, shaking her head. "But anyways, I've always wanted to come back and actually try the food because it sounded good."

He glanced out at the darkening sky, letting out a deep breath. "Then we better go in before it starts pouring," He said, clearing his throat and getting out of the car.

She followed his lead, nearly running into him as he walked around to her door.

"Sorry, I was, uh, going to come get your door," He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess old habits die hard."

She smiled at him, raising her eyebrows, linking her arm through his. "What do you say we try something a little bit different tonight?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking down at her and raising his eyebrows.

"What if we pretend that we're together and see how you feel? Because I already know what I want, Nathan, you're the one that seems to be confused," She whispered, squeezing his arm.

"That seems risky," He said, clearing his throat and looking down at her.

By risky... He meant like a terrible idea, but he wasn't actually going to say that. He couldn't pretend to date her, could he?

Would that be just enough to make him give in to the constant pressure he'd been subconsciously putting on himself?

"You can say no," She hummed, looking up at him and nodding.

"You know what? To prove to you how fine I am with being just friends, I'll go along with it. Just to show you that I'm over you," He informed her, clearing his throat. "But, the whole drive home we have to talk like we're just friends."

"Done," Haley hummed, sliding her hand down his arm, interlocking their fingers and humming softly.

He felt his whole arm start to tingle. It's almost like his nerves were throwing a party because they finally found the exact place where they should be.

It wasn't fair. His brain said no, but literally every other part of his body was screaming yes.

Unfortunately, the only opinions he could actually hear were from his brain.

"Oh, and I promise I won't kiss you, unless, of course, you want me too..." She hummed, winking at him, before tugging him inside.

"Good to know," He laughed, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Can we get a booth for two, please?" Haley hummed, raising her eyebrows as they walked inside. The place was fairly empty, thankfully.

He followed her, smiling slightly at the waiter as they were lead to the booth in the corner of the room.

Haley gestured for him to sit, and when he did, she scooted in next to him, rather than across from him.

"Oh, hell, Haley," He laughed, looking over at her and shaking his head. "We didn't even do this when we were actually dating. We made fun of couples that did this," He whispered to her, rolling his eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," She hummed innocently, grabbing onto his hand once again. "Babe."

He laughed, brushing his thumb over her knuckles and shaking his head.

At least if they were pretending to do this, she wasn't taking it hard on him. She was joking around and laughing, which made him feel so much more relaxed.

He couldn't handle this. He could prove to her that they needed to be friends.

"What are you going to get, babe?" He asked her, chuckling quietly and shaking his head.

"Well, babe, I was thinking of getting a plate of french fries for us to share," She joked, squeezing his hand.

"Babe, that sounds fantastic," He laughed, smiling down at her.

"Aw, babe..." She hummed, reaching up and rubbing his cheek lightly, before returning her hand to his.

Okay, that made his heart lurch. He loved when she did that to him. And she knew it. He needed to forget all his previous thoughts. She wasn't going to make this easy on him. Haley James knew all the secret things to make his knees buckle. She knew how to turn him into goo, and she was most likely going to use it against him. Maybe it would be subtle, but maybe not. Who knew anymore? She was kind of a wildcard.

Now she was stroking her fingers around his palm and up his forearm a little bit instead of just holding his hand.

Abort mission. This had been a terrible idea. Well, a great idea on her part, but a terrible idea for him.

Why couldn't he have changed everything about himself in the past six years?

Maybe he just needed to avoid the threats...?

He removed his arm from her grasp, instead placing it behind her on the booth.

She leaned into him a bit, which again, made his heart drop.

She smelled nice. And she looked beautiful. This had not been as effective as he hoped, but at least he had more control when his arm was on the booth instead of where she had easy access to stroke and squeeze his bicep whenever she wanted.

Plus, he wasn't even touching her, it was just on the booth.

He could handle this.

After a few minutes, they'd ordered their food, which meant he didn't even have the menu to keep him distracted anymore. Now it was all her.

"Logan did the sweetest thing today," Haley informed him, smiling up at him. "He grabbed my finger and smiled at me."

"He did not smile at you," Nathan argued, shaking his head and laughing.

"I swear, he did! You can ask Clay, he was there," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Taylor was there too! You can ask her too. Ha!"

"Haley, maybe he twitched, but he hasn't even smiled at me yet, and I'm his favorite," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, lord, Nathan. He smiled at me, I swear," She laughed, poking him lightly. "I promise."

"But what if that means you've replaced me?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"Then I'm really sorry for you, but not for me. That kid is my guy, I love him. We're going to have a strong bond, I can tell you that," Haley hummed, shrugging.

"No way," Nathan responded, poking her shoulder lightly. "He's mine. You have like forty others to choose from."

"You have Lee and Sawyer," Haley reminded him, laughing.

"Yeah, and Sawyer loves you more than me!" He groaned, shaking his head. "She kept bringing up how she gets to see Haley soon, and you guys are going to lunch, and how much fun you are."

"Well, duh, Nathan. You know me. You know how awesome I am," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"And I said, Sawyer, she's the only person in the whole world that won't let her boyfriend leave the table until he eats his vegetables," He joked, grinning at her.

"Oh, you jerk! I never did that," She said, punching his arm lightly.

"But now she thinks you do," He hummed, winking at her.

"You're the worst, babe," She groaned, before smiling at him.

"Aw, thank you, babe," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

It didn't take long before their food came out, and they settled into a comfortable silence.

"Mm, babe, you have to try this," Haley hummed, holding up a fork full of Mac and cheese, a grin on her face.

He sucked in a deep breath, leaning forward as she put the fork in his mouth.

"Good," He commented, shrugging his shoulders at her surprised reaction to his response. "I mean, uh, wow! Totally worth the seven year wait," He laughed.

"Exactly," Haley hummed, nodding at him.

Was it just him, or had she all of the sudden scooted very close to him? So close that he could feel his blood pressure shooting through the roof. Their arms were touching, and they had not been before.

Had they? Heck, he didn't remember.

But he sure as hell did notice when her hand snuck over and rested on his leg briefly, giving his knee a light squeeze, before returning to it's original position.

She was such a sly little thing.

Maybe he should do the same thing to her to see how she liked it.

He was about to... But he chickened out. He didn't want to lead her on at all.

He looked outside when there was a roar of thunder, sighing softly when he noticed it had started raining.

"You know, rain used to be our thing," She hummed, nudging him lightly.

"Really? I had forgotten," He said sarcastically, smiling down at her.

"Some might call it fate," She whispered, winking at him.

"Yes, and some might call it winter in North Carolina," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Babe," She whined, laughing and linking her arms through his, leaning into him lightly.

"Fine, yes. Some could call it fate," He laughed, smiling down at her and rolling his eyes. "Whether that's what I'd call it, you'll never know."

She laughed, humming softly and smiling up at him. "You're cute, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself, Haley James," He complimented, nodding down at her, before focusing his attention on his food once again.

After eating for a little bit longer, they finally finished up and headed out of the restaurant.

"We were going to do some other things, but now... I kind of feel like we should head back to Tree Hill because it's really coming down," She said, gesturing outside and clearing her throat. "Rain check?"

Nathan looked at her quickly, a grin forming on his face. "Haley, just for that pun, I will do anything for you," He laughed, nodding at her. "You know my type of humor, that's for sure."

She laughed, wrapping her arm around his waist, looking outside once again and raising her eyebrows. "Ready to face it, babe?"

"Of course," He chuckled, raising his jacket up so that it would semi-cover her, before they headed out into the rain. "Give me the keys," He mumbled to her, holding out his hand.

She didn't argue, handing over the key's to Clay and Quinn's car that they'd so graciously let her borrow, before getting in the car quickly.

Nathan hurried to the drivers side, climbing in and shaking his head, laughing. "It's raining," He told her, shrugging.

"I hadn't noticed," She laughed, ruffling his wet hair, letting out a deep breath. "I guess we're buddies not that we're in the car, hm?"

"I guess so," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "But... Y'know, I was thinking for safety reasons, we could take back roads home instead of the freeway."

A grin formed on her face, raising her eyebrows in surprise at him. "Are you actually having a good time, Nathan Scott?"

"I usually do when I'm with you, Haley James. And not just because it's ended in sex in the past," He laughed, winking at her.

She nodded at him, shrugging her shoulders and laughing.

"Okay, buddy, let's get going," He hummed, taking his jacket off his shoulders, handing it over to her so that she could use it as a semi-wet blanket until the car warmed up more.

"So, buddy, I have to tell you about this dude I hooked up with," Haley began, a smirk forming on her face.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, sending her a warning glance.

"He's the complete package," Haley hummed, clearing her throat. "Like, hunk of the century."

"Haley," He said, shaking his head.

"We're friends, Nathan. Let me finish," She laughed, leaning against the center console.

"This isn't going to work," He told her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Blue eyes that I could just swim in," She added, watching him glance over again.

It was only then that he realized she was talking about him. Oh, she was such a dork.

He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face though.

"The only problem is, we have a past," She informed him, sighing softly.

"Do I know him?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and glancing over at her.

"No, he lives in Arizona," She joked, shrugging her shoulders. "But damn, this boy can get it."

"Well, buddy, I'm sorry you're going through that," He said, glancing over at her and shrugging.

"I see a future, and I think he does too, I'm just confused by it all, but he is too," Haley informed him, letting out a deep breath.

"Maybe he just needs time to figure out what he actually wants," He told her, clearing his throat.

She nodded at his response, raising her eyebrows. "Do you actually give your friends that kind of advice?"

"No," He laughed, looking at her. "My life is messy, no one asks me for advice."

She laughed, patting his shoulder and shrugging. "There, there..."

"I don't like giving advice anyways," He laughed, shaking his head. "You know who we've hardly talked about? Brooke."

"That's because once I get on the topic of Brooke, I will never get off of it," She informed him, smiling brightly.

"How often do you see her?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not nearly as often as I'd like," Haley laughed, shrugging. "We talk almost every day though."

"Really?" He questioned, glancing over at her.

"Yes," She hummed, nodding. "She's my closest friend."

"I started a business with mine, so maybe you should consider that," Nathan said, chuckling quietly.

"Oh, she's just about the busiest person on the planet too. She already has a business to run, and twin boys, and a husband that's almost as busy as she is."

"Ah, Brooke Davis, she could always handle more than anyone else," He said, nodding his head.

"I'd say that's the most accurate thing that's ever left your mouth," Haley agreed, smiling slightly.

"It's a shame that you got to keep her in the break up. I would have fought hard to have her on my team," He joked, looking over at her and shrugging.

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "I think her ways of consolation would have been ineffective on you."

"Probably true," He hummed, shaking his head.

"So, what about you, Nathan? Any interesting hook ups lately?" She asked him, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Is this what you think I talk about with my friends?" He asked her, laughing.

"Maybe, maybe not," She said, humming softly.

"Not really," He answered her question, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't like to brag about the women that I've slept with to my friends. I don't want to objectify them at all, or make them seem like a contest."

She shook her head, a small smile forming on her face. "That was a good answer. Not exactly what I was looking for, but still good."

"Why, thank you," He hummed, letting out a deep breath.

After a few more minutes of joking back and forth, Haley looked at him.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Uh, sure..." He answered slowly, glancing over at her.

"If you had to pick, right now, which do you prefer? Friends or dating?" She asked him curiously. "I won't let you answer change anything, because I'm not done fighting for us, and if you say dating, then I won't let it change anything either."

"Uh, I don't know," He said, shrugging. "They aren't much different. One you call me babe and unnecessary amount, and the other you call me buddy."

She smiled at his response, reaching over and grabbing onto his arm lightly. "Nathan, don't you get it? We were friends when we were dating. That's why it's so easy to do both, and that's why they mesh together so well. We told each other everything."

"Yeah, except when you had a job offer in Arizona and were planning to dump me," He responded, glancing over at her.

"That's not fair," She said, shaking her head.

"None of this has been fair, Haley. None of it," He responded, glancing over at her. "You don't know how sure I was that you were going to say yes. The thought of you saying no had not crossed my mind."

"I had only received the job offer that day! I barely had time to tell you before you proposed to me!" She said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I am. That's all I can say. I can't go back in time and change things."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry too," He grumbled, shaking his head. "I just don't know what to say, Haley! I'm terrified right now, I really am."

"You don't think I'm scared, Nathan?" She asked him, shaking her head. "I'm putting myself out there, and you're barely being receptive, which is fine. I don't want to pressure you at all, but all that happens is a one night stand where you say it's a bad idea then jump out my window."

"That's not all it was to me, Haley, you know that," He argued, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know that, Nathan, because you won't talk to me about anything real," She said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan opened his mouth to respond, before the car jolted. He stuck his arm out in front of her to stop her from leaning forward, letting out a deep breath. "Great. This is just great," He mumbled, pulling off to the side of the road. "Take the back roads, what a great idea," He said to himself. "Stay in the car," He said to her, getting out and walking around to the front tire on the right side of the car.

Haley rolled down the window, raising her eyebrows.

"We blew a tire," He said, running his hand through his hair. "In the damn rain. Of course. Do you have service?"

Haley checked her phone, looking at him and shaking her head.

"Looks like I'm changing a tire tonight," He mumbled, leaning against the window. "Can I have my jacket?"

Haley quickly handed it to him, letting out a deep breath.

He walked around to the back of the car, getting out everything he'd need to change the tire and shaking his head.

"Nathan," Haley said to him after a couple minutes of silence, looking down at him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm kinda pissed right now, Haley," He said, shaking his head. "I don't want to be, but I am. I just hate how conflicted I'm feeling."

"I understand, Nathan-"

"You don't, Haley," He said, looking at her and shaking his head. "You don't."

"I lost you too, you know..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"No, you let go of me. I lost you," He bit back, hitting his hand against the tire, glaring at her. "I humiliated myself, Haley. I told your parents I was going to propose, I told Quinn and Clay, Lucas, everyone that was important to us. And then I had to tell them you said no."

"You can't hold this against me forever," She argued with him.

"Maybe not, but it sure stings right now," He said, running his hand through his hair.

"Let it go, Nathan," She said, frowning at him. "You'll feel much better."

He stood up quickly, staring at her. "You can't tell me what to do, Haley."

"I'm trying to help you, Nathan," She said, shaking her head.

"I know what you're trying to do. But it's not working, dammit," He said, looking at her and shaking his head. "I was in love with you forever, Haley. And I was on cloud nine our whole relationship because I loved you so much, you were everything I've ever wanted. And it destroyed me to lose you. I've spent years rebuilding myself, and I can't let you do it to me again. I can't," He said quickly, before going back to changing the tire.

She didn't say anything else. Not for the rest of the drive. She just stared out the window, lost in thought.

Nathan felt bad for telling her off, he really did. But it was also relieving to tell her some of the things he held in. It was nice to be honest with her. He just hoped that eventually he could be honest and not angry at the same time.

When he parked in front of his parents house, he looked at her and let out a deep breath.

"Look, Haley-"

"Don't apologize to me, Nathan," She said, offering her a small smile. "I wanted you to tell me how you were feeling, and you did," She said, reaching over, resting her hand on his cheek lightly.

He closed his eyes, swallowing thickly.

"I'm not going to hurt you again, Nathan," She told him, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone. "We've had a lot of fun, but it's all be just joking around, really. But I have real feelings for you. I don't think of you as some ex boyfriend that I hook up with when I see him, and I don't want you to he just that," Haley whispered, clearing her throat.

He blinked his eyes open, nodding at her.

"But I want more than what we have right now," Haley told him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm willing to wait as long as you need, Nathan, but you have to tell me if you see any potential future at all besides just friends."

He searched her eyes, feeling his throat run dry.

Haley James would always have his heart. He knew it, hell, she probably knew it but she needed to hear him say it.

"I do," He said softly, nodding at her. "I'm just so confused by it, and I'm scared of getting hurt again."

"That's all I needed," She hummed out, kissing his cheek softly. "I care about you a lot, Nathan."

"I care about you too, Hales," He told her, resting his hand on her wrist, nodding at her.

"Good. Now we can go back to having a good time, and me trying to flirt my way into your heart," She said, winking at him.

He smiled at her, turning his head slightly and kissing her palm. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He said softly, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, you will," Haley said, smiling at him, brushing her fingers through his hair.

He glanced at the door handle, before back at her.

"Just do it, Nathan," She whispered, leaning closer to him. "I promise, I'm not going to read too much into it tomorrow."

"It's freaky how well you know me," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mhm," She hummed, kinking one eyebrow at him.

"Oh, right. You're getting impatient, I should probably kiss you now," He said, clearing his throat.

"Probably," She said, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone again.

He leaned forward, kissing her quickly, reaching his hand across the center console and grabbing her waist.

Haley slid her hand from his face, into his hair, kissing him just as urgently as he kissed her.

Their first rational kiss in six years. And it had been totally worth the wait. No anger involved, or alcohol. Just them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, this Author's note is a little bit longer, but it's kind of important. I know a lot of you saw that I actually updated this story, but I quickly took the update down because I panicked a little at the potential reaction to this chapter. So... I decided to do something a bit unusual. I wrote a second version of this chapter. The one that I'm currently uploading is a little bit more... Risky, but I like it better. But, if you guys absolutely hate this chapter, I'll go ahead and replace it with the other one, that is a little bit more on the safe side. Please, let me know! I want this story to be something you guys love, and if this chapter just really doesn't do it for you, I want to try again.**

**Thanks again for all the love! Really, it makes my day every time I see a new review, and I often go back and read older ones too. I wasn't originally going to end this chapter here, but I felt like this was a good stopping point.**

**For the purpose of the story, I decided that Lydia is going to own a cafe instead of Karen or Deb. **

**Thank you! **

"So, Nathan..."

Nathan glanced up when none other than Taylor James took a seat next to him. He was sitting at a table with Clay and Quinn, holding Logan in his arms.

"Taylor, hi," He said, offering her a smile.

"I can't believe you didn't drop the kid and come running with excitement when you saw me walk in," Taylor hummed, before glancing across the table at the Evans. "I'm kidding, of course."

"I'm so sorry, I just thought I missed you when I came in. I guess I assumed there was no way you would show up to your own family's party a half hour late," He hummed, handing Logan carefully across the table to Clay, before wrapping his arm around Taylor, hugging her briefly from the side.

"Well, we usually do it at the house and not here, but it seems like there are way more people this year so mom wanted a bigger space," Taylor hummed, gesturing around.

Nathan looked around the place that Lucas had spent quite a bit of time in his life; Lydia's Lounge. Lydia had opened it up when Haley and Lucas were both freshman in high school, giving them both a great place to work in their free time. Quinn and Taylor had also worked there until they left, if he remembered correctly.

There had been many times that he'd come here and Haley had helped him with his homework between busy periods.

"It doesn't happen very often that five of the seven James kids are around," Nathan said, chuckling quietly. "Not to mention a few family friends on top of that," He said, meeting Lydia's best friend Marion's eyes as he glanced around, offering her a wave.

"And the Scott family. Which is something I never thought I'd see again," Taylor hummed, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Leave it," Quinn hummed from across the table, nodding at Taylor.

Taylor smiled at Quinn, before looking back at Nathan, nodding at him.

"Yeah, well, Lucas and my mom really wanted to come," Nathan said, shrugging. "Plus, it's nice to see everyone."

"I see," Taylor said, patting Nathan's arm. "Well I know I like to see you, especially with the beard. It's working for me."

"You know, almost every single person I've spoken to tonight has made a comment about it," Nathan said, glancing across the table. "Did I look weird without it?"

"No," Quinn assured him, laughing. "You just look like a man, not a kid. Remember, a lot of these people haven't seen you in awhile."

"Are you dating anyone?" Taylor asked him, raising her eyebrows and cutting off Quinn.

"Uh, no. Not at the moment," Nathan answered, clearing his throat and shifting slightly.

"What's with the interrogation, Taylor?" Clay asked from across the table.

"I haven't seen him in awhile, Clay. Just trying to catch up," Taylor hummed, smiling at him.

"But if you know anyone, I'm available," Nathan chuckled, brushing Taylor off with a head shake.

This is how she was. He wasn't going to let her make him uncomfortable. She was absolutely harmless. To everyone except Haley, of course, who let it get under her skin.

"Well, I'd take you for myself if you weren't five years younger than me and my sister's ex, but I'll go ahead and keep looking for you," Taylor hummed, standing up and ruffling Nathan's hair. "Catch ya later, Nater."

Nathan laughed, looking up at her and rolling his eyes. "Never say that ever again," He said, shaking his head.

"Now that I hear it out loud, it doesn't sound as clever as I thought," Taylor laughed, leaning down and hugging him again. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," Nathan hummed, shrugging his shoulders and smiling slightly as she walked away.

"Taylor James, ladies and gentleman," Quinn said, rolling her eyes and smiling at her sister's retreating form.

"The one and only. She's probably going to go get drunk in the freezer now," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes.

He swallowed thickly when he made eye contact with Haley, who tilted her head towards the staircase that lead up to the roof.

He nodded ever so slightly in response, watching as she attempted to wrap up her conversation with Peyton.

He looked back over to Clay and Quinn, shrugging his shoulders at smirks on both of their faces.

"Stop it," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Did she just call you up for a mid-party quickie?" Quinn asked him, leaning forward and raising her eyebrows. "You know her signals probably better than I do."

"No," Nathan grumbled, crossing his arms and shaking his head, glancing over again when he saw her head up the stairs.

"You two are trouble," Clay laughed, covering Logan's eyes. "I don't want him to know what his responsible, put together, Aunt Haley is becoming."

"I'm surprised you two lasted this long," Quinn teased, winking at him.

"Okay, you guys are the worst and I regret ever introducing you," Nathan hummed, standing up. "I know that this could end really badly, but everything before that is going to be a lot of fun. Now if you'll excuse me..." He trailed off, before heading towards the stairs.

The previous night had been nothing short of incredible. But, every back seat of another person's car make out session he'd ever had with Haley had been. Even with the baby car seat holding stabbing into either of them every once and awhile. He did feel a little bad, but it wouldn't be the first time.

They'd gotten a few things off their chest, and who knew the empty space could be filled so quickly with each other.

It didn't change anything, like Haley promised. They weren't a couple, and it was still an uphill battle, but the idea didn't feel quite as heavy to him.

"Oh, Nathan!" Deb called him, causing his head to twist towards her quickly, a sigh falling from him.

"Yes?" Nathan asked, stepping over and raising his eyebrows.

"I was just telling Lydia and Marion about Theresa," Deb said, clearing her throat.

She was way too excited about the idea of him having a girlfriend. This was about to be awkward as hell.

"Mom," Nathan said, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"No need to be shy about it, Nathan," Lydia urged him, a genuine smile on her face.

Probably no one would ever love him more than Lydia James did, and that was a fact.

"There's nothing to tell, really," Nathan assured them, shaking his head.

"Oh, nonsense," Marion urged him, winking up at him. "Tell us."

"I went to high school with her," Nathan informed them, sighing softly.

What else could he say? He didn't even really remember the color of her eyes. He felt slightly bad lying to them, but he couldn't exactly tell the truth right now.

Not to mention he wanted to go upstairs.

And he really didn't want to talk about this with anyone, let alone Lydia James. Even if the dates were fake, it was still weird.

"Her mom was crazier than me, dare I say it," Deb informed Lydia, laughing.

"I don't know if it gets any crazier than you, Mom," Nathan joked, changing the subject quickly, wrapping his arm around his mom's shoulders, pulling her into a friendly side hug.

"I'll drink to that," Dan said as he approached, nodding at them.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get some air," He said, clearing his throat and hurrying away. He glanced over his shoulder as he approached the staircase that led to the roof to make sure no one was watching him, well, except for Clay and Quinn who were giving him inappropriate gestures and then laughing extremely hard to each other about it.

He walked up the stairs slowly, letting out a deep breath.

This was a risky move on their part. They could easily be caught, and what would their excuse even be?

He shook his head, trying to push all of the negative, worrisome thoughts out of his head for once and just be with Haley.

He smiled slightly as he stepped through the door, seeing her standing by the edge and staring out at their hometown.

He took a moment to pause and admire her. Like really, admire her. She'd aged, if he could even call it that, so eloquently. She just got better and better. Like fine wine. And boy, did he want a drink. He wanted to get drunk on her, time and time again.

She was like a drug to him. A drug that instead of tearing him apart, lifts him up and actually makes him feel good about himself.

"You summoned me?" He asked, stepping up next to her, glancing down at her.

"It's funny how quickly we stepped back into sneaking out of parties," Haley informed him, looking up at him and smiling. "Hi."

"Hey," He said, looking out at Tree Hill. "A little cold up here, don't you think?"

"Maybe," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "But, I figured that shivering up here with you was better than answering the same questions my mom's friends ask me every time I see them."

"Well your mom asked me about my new girlfriend Theresa," He said, shaking his head. "This is going to be a mess, hm?"

"Maybe," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders and looking up at him.

Here it comes...

"I saw you talking to Taylor," She began again, clearing her throat.

Yep. He knew that's what she was going to say.

He laughed, kicking at the ground. "She was just saying hi, Hales. I haven't seen her in a couple years."

"I have a hard time believing Taylor just said hi to you," Haley hummed, shrugging.

"She did," He laughed, shaking his head. "You don't need to be jealous."

"Nathan, I'm not jealous," Haley said, looking up at him. "You think I don't know that you've been itching to talk to me all night?"

He smiled at her, raising his arm, nodding down at her.

She easily slid into his side hug, her hand wrapping around his waist, letting out a deep breath.

Now it wasn't that cold. He could probably stay up here all night. He had a warmth inside of him that he had not felt in a long time. A feeling of peace that wouldn't have been there a couple days ago.

"You know, I always felt weird coming up here," He told her, looking down at her and smiling.

"Why's that?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"This was always you and Luke's place," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, whatever. Just because Lucas and I liked to come up here and talk doesn't mean it's our place," She laughed, tapping his stomach lightly.

"You would write your predictions," He said, humming softly.

"Whatever you want to think," She said, shaking her head.

A smirk suddenly formed on his face as a thought popped into his brain, looking down at her quickly.

"What's that look?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Actually, you know what, we turned this into our place," He said, gesturing around.

She thought about what he said for a moment, before gasping and pushing him lightly.

"What? It's funny," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You never told him about that, did you?" She asked him, shaking her head quickly. "We still come up here! He'd never want to come if he found out."

"Then I could meet you instead," He said, smirking slightly, turning to face her.

"In your dreams," She whispered, stepping closer to her.

"Already happened in my dreams," He informed her, winking at her. "And in real life."

"He would be mortified," She said, shaking her head. "We've been hanging out up here since we were kids."

He laughed, his hands coming to rest again on her waist. "Did I tell you how much fun I had last night?"

He knew he had. He'd repeatedly told her, because it was true. They'd had a great end to their date.

"Mm... I don't think so," She whispered, standing on her toes, resting her hands against his chest.

"I did," He said, his forehead coming to rest on hers.

She took the lead this time, which felt right since she'd pretty much led every single part of their relationship since they'd known each other.

She was unlike any other woman he'd ever dated. He needed her. Hell, he still did. Maybe he'd need gotten over her like he thought he did.

He almost felt bad, because he'd never needed any other girlfriend the same way he needed Haley James.

A flick of her wrist and he'd do anything for her. If she wanted him to try tightrope walking just for her own amusement, he'd do it.

Haley kissed him quickly, her hands sliding up his chest to rest on the sides of his neck.

He held onto her tighter, following her as she started to back them into the picnic table that was a few feet away from them.

"I wasn't exactly planning on you following me up here to do this," She informed him, before kissing him again.

"Yeah, well... Let's just blame it on our spot," He said softly, rubbing his hands up her sides as a chill ran through her.

"Not our spot," She mumbled, holding onto him tightly. "Who knew how much fun an adult friends with benefits relationship could actually be?"

He laughed, kissing her in response, leaning her against the picnic table. "I guess I really like being your friend."

"I can tell," She replied, gripping his shirt tightly in her palms, closing her eyes tightly as he kissed down her neck briefly. "It's great to be your friend, buddy."

"Isn't it?" He laughed, kissing her again, squeezing his eyes shut.

The cold was long forgotten. He could feel his body heat melting into hers.

Honestly, he was actually starting to feel a bit warm under his jacket, something that she seemed to sense because she pulled his jacket down his shoulders.

"You're so..." He pulled from her, staring down at her and smiling slightly.

A smile that he had not smiled in a long time. One that he saved for her.

"I hope the next words that leave your mouth are going to be positive," She said, winking at him.

"Wonderful. Just... Wonderful," He said, letting out a deep breath. "I don't think I even realized I was drowning until you came back and saved me."

"I thought you were happy?" She asked him, a frown forming on her face at that comment.

"The funny thing is, I was so happy. I liked the way my life was going... That's why I didn't realize it," He informed her, letting out a deep breath.

Her eyes softened at him. She didn't kiss him, but she was pretty close to it, her lips hovering over his. She raised her hand, gently stroking it through the hair on the side of his head, her fingers toying with his ear occasionally.

And it drove him wild. The gentleness... He'd missed her touch and he had not even realized it.

They had yet to share a moment this serene. Sure, the previous night was incredible. But this... This was a heartfelt moment.

She teased him, kissing the corner of his mouth, all while continuing to stroke her hand through his hair, the other gripping his shirt tightly.

He finally kissed her. It was gentle, and full of the passion that each of them had been missing in their lives.

Neither of them heard the door open and a third person walk out onto the roof.

Until that person spoke.

"Uh, guys?"

Nathan turned quickly at the sound of his older brother's voice, his eyes wide.

Oh shit. This wasn't good.

This was going to complicate things quite a bit between him and Haley.

"Lucas," Haley said quickly, pushing Nathan off of her and standing up straight again.

Lucas looked stunned. Like out of all the things he expected to see on this roof, Nathan and Haley making out was definitely not one of them.

Nathan couldn't get his brain to let his mouth say something smart. So instead, he said something stupid.

"Surprise," Nathan said, holding up jazz hands.

Jazz hands? Had he ever done jazz hands in his life? How the hell did he even know what they were?

Haley sent him a confused look, before looking back at her shocked best friend.

Okay, so that had not impressed her, at all.

"I'm really confused," Lucas finally spoke, clearing his throat.

Haley blew out a deep breath, rubbing her neck. "What are you doing up here?"

"I saw you sneak up here and that kinda used to be our signal that you wanted to hang out..." Lucas stuttered, clearing his throat. "I must have missed Nathan come up as well."

Nathan shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at Haley, who had yet to glance in his direction after the stupid display of jazz hands, instead her eyes were still focused on Lucas.

He could tell she was trying to figure out what to say.

"We, uh... We were just catching up..." He began, shrugging when Haley finally looked at him.

That answer did not impress her either, apparently.

"It's not what it looks like...?" He tried again, closing his mouth when she made a face that pretty much screamed at him to stop talking.

"It looks like you two were..." Lucas trailed off, glancing at the picnic table. "On the table where we've eaten lunch since we were nine years old."

"Okay, so maybe it is what it looks like..." Nathan trailed off, sending an apologetic smile when Haley looked at him again.

She was just standing there, what did she want him to do? He could either talk, or they could all just stand there staring at each other awkwardly.

"Lucas..." Haley finally said again, letting out a deep sigh. "It's complicated."

"It's none of my business," Lucas said quickly, holding his hands up defensively.

"We're just..." Haley looked at Nathan, sending him a look that meant she wanted him to fill in the end part.

That was fair. She was letting him define the relationship.

But now she wanted him to talk?

"Hooking up," Nathan said quickly, watching a whirlwind of emotions run over Haley's face, the final being disbelief at the phrase that came out of his mouth.

Why didn't he think before he said that? Haley was like a sister to Lucas. A sister that hooked up with his brother... So maybe that phrasing was complicated. Haley was Luke's best friend that he treated and loved like family.

He was panicked. Of course, Clay and Quinn had an idea of what was going on, but he never had to explain it to them. He didn't think they'd have to explain it until they defined it.

"Still trying to figure out what's going on, is how I would have phrased that," Haley said, shaking her head at Nathan.

"It's not my business," Lucas said again, shaking his head quickly.

"It kind of is, Lucas. I mean, it's between us, but it still impacts you..." Haley said, stepping forward until she reached him, reaching behind her back and gesturing for Nathan to come as well.

"Haley," Lucas said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm just... Confused. A week ago I was scared to say your name in fear that Nathan would punch in in the throat."

"We've been talking since the beginning of November," Haley informed him, glancing over at Nathan. "And... It's just complicated."

Lucas looked at Nathan, raising his eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me? You're my little brother..."

"Because, we just slept together then decided to be friends, I don't know what the big deal is..." Nathan trailed off, shrugging.

Why couldn't he think before he spoke? It's like he saw more steam coming out of Haley's ears at every question he answered.

"It is a big deal," Lucas gestured between the two of them, scowling slightly. "Have you thought of how poorly this could turn out?"

Haley frowned, crossing her arms and looking over at Nathan, before looking back at Lucas.

That look wasn't her thinking of how poorly this could turn out, was it?

She couldn't start second guessing them now, he wouldn't be able to survive.

He was just starting to let his mind be open to the possibility of rekindling, and now she was second guessing it.

She was going to break his-

"It won't," She answered quickly, standing up straighter.

Oh, so she wasn't second guessing them. That frown was because she hated the question Lucas just asked them.

"You're two of my best friends, and I don't want to lose either of you. I could have the first time," Lucas said quickly, shaking his head.

"Lucas," Haley cut him off, scowling at him. "You didn't come close to losing either of us. I never expected you to choose me over Nathan. Nathan, did you ever expect him to stop being friends with me?"

Nathan looked at Lucas, shaking his head. "Of course not."

"I know what I want, Lucas," Haley said, gesturing between the two of them. "Believe me when I say that I've considered the outcomes, and the good outweighs the bad for me."

Nathan swallowed thickly at her words, glancing over at her.

"I told you that it was none of my business, Hales," Lucas said quickly, shaking his head.

Haley let out a frustrated sigh, looking over her shoulder at Nathan.

"I'm most upset that you guys didn't tell me... I mean, I thought we kinda told each other stuff like this," Lucas said softly, kicking his foot at the ground.

"Sorry, next time we accidentally have sex, we'll let you know," Haley said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. Now it seemed like she was the one who spoke without thinking. When he glanced at her eyes, he knew that she said exactly what she wanted to say at that moment.

She was a powerhouse.

If Lucas had not been there...

He shook his head, clearing his brain, his eyes shifting to Luke's face once again, taking in the shock on his face at her comment.

"I don't know why you're on defense, Haley, because I haven't even told you my opinion," Lucas said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Maybe you should say it then, Lucas," Haley bit back, standing up straighter.

"Maybe I will," Lucas said, scowling at her.

"Then say it," She said, taking a step forward.

"I think that all of your friends are getting married and having kids, and you feel like you're missing out on it. You turned down Nathan's proposal, then Peter's, and now you're feeling lost," Lucas said, scowling at her. "And you know what? Now you're going back to Nathan because you knew he would drop everything for you, because he's been in love with you since before he even knew what love was-"

Nathan had not even realized it, but he'd jumped forward, swinging his fist and punching Lucas across the face, cutting him off from saying anymore.

He shook out his fist, looking at his older brother on the ground, before turning around and looking at Haley with wide eyes.

Some Christmas party, right?


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy Holidays, everyone! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading.**

Haley blinked at Nathan in surprise, her jaw dropped in shock at what had just played out.

Nathan shook out his hand again, letting out a deep breath.

He had not punched Lucas since they were in high school.

And he felt terrible. Lucas had a job, and kids... He didn't need his punk ass younger brother giving him a bruise for people to ask him about.

He glanced over at Haley again, who he couldn't quite read at the moment.

"What the hell, Nathan?" Lucas grumbled from the ground, holding his hand to his face and letting out a deep breath.

He looked at Lucas, then at Haley once again, who was looking at him expectantly, as if he was supposed to actually answer that question.

He wasn't sure what came over him. But... When he thought back to the words Luke had been saying, the anger started rising again. Damn his temper.

Lucas and Haley rarely fought. There was one span during their junior year of high school, they didn't speak to each other for a week, but that was the only real fight Nathan could remember them ever having.

When he didn't say anything, Haley stepped forward and knelt down next to Lucas, pulling his hand from his eye and looking at the bruise that was already starting to form on his cheek.

"You're such a dick sometimes, Nathan," Lucas spit out at him, glaring in his direction.

Nathan kicked at the ground, hanging his head slightly at Luke's words, adverting is gaze.

That stung. Him and Lucas got along most of the time as well. When they were younger, they'd argue a lot, but that was due to them being so close in age, there was a certain competitiveness. But now the fact that they were so close in age was one of the reasons why they got along. It was hard hearing his older brother call him a dick.

"Shut up, Lucas," Haley grumbled to him, looking at Nathan and shaking her head. She helped him up to his feet, looking at the bruise again.

Lucas would apologize to Haley for the hurtful things he said. Eventually. That was one thing Nathan knew. But, it was kinda hard to be anything but angry after just being punched in the face.

"Luke," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "You have to punch me in the face."

"What?" Haley said, looking at Nathan with raised eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure there has been enough punching."

"No, less questions will be asked this way," Nathan said quickly, nodding at Lucas. "Punch me."

Lucas hesitated for a moment, looking at Haley, who was shaking her head quickly. He stepped forward, raising his fist and punching Nathan in the same spot he'd just been punched.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Haley asked, grabbing Lucas by the shirt and pulling him away. She abandoned Lucas, and walked to Nathan.

Nathan was bent over, holding his face and letting out slow, deep breaths.

Haley rested her hand on Nathan's back, shaking her head. "You two are acting like teenagers. You're both in your late twenties, with careers and families. You can't just punch each other anymore."

"I did it for you," Nathan said, standing up straight and looking at her.

"I didn't ask you to do that, Nathan!" Haley said to him, shaking her head and grabbing onto his face carefully, looking at the bruise.

"We have adult conversations, Nathan, because we're adults," Lucas said, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

"Oh, if you're so adult then why the hell do you care that we're sleeping together?" Nathan asked him, shaking his head and glaring at him.

"Because you both were so sure it would end well the last time, why is it any different now?" Lucas snapped, wincing at the pain in his face.

"Lucas, just shut up, alright? This isn't your decision to make. Yeah, it may make a difference in your life a little bit, but this is between Nathan and me," Haley grumbled, shaking her head. "Let's go down to the party and get you two idiots some ice."

The three of them slowly headed down the stairs, eyes moving to them as they made it back into the restaurant.

"You two, go get some ice and try not to kill each other," Haley mumbled, pointing where they need to go, before heading over to talk to Peyton and Deb.

Nathan followed after Lucas, sighing softly and glancing in Haley's direction.

It wasn't long before Peyton arrived on scene, her eyebrows raised.

"What the hell happened to you two?" She asked them quietly.

Nathan sighed softly, looking at Lucas and shaking his head.

Thankfully, he knew Lucas very well, and he knew that he wouldn't scream their business to the whole party.

"I'll tell you later," Lucas mumbled, looking down at Peyton when she finished getting him ice, holding it to his cheek.

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, leaning against the counter and sighing. "I'm going to go," He told Peyton and Lucas, letting out a deep breath.

"We'll see you back at your parents house, alright?" Peyton said, raising her eyebrows at him.

They'd been staying the night at Deb and Dan's since it was Christmas Eve. Fun.

Nathan offered her a nod, patting Lucas on the back lightly, before heading over to Lydia.

"What happened, Nate?" Lydia asked him quietly, reaching up and touching his face lightly.

"I'm fine. I was just letting you know that I'm heading out, and I wanted to wish you a happy holidays," He said softly, leaning down and hugging her.

"Oh, well I got you a little present if you want to swing by the house sometime tomorrow," Lydia told him, smiling slightly. "We love you, honey. Don't forget to ice the eye."

He smiled at her, nodding across the room at Jimmy, then at Clay, before stepping to his own parents. "I'm going to go," He informed them, clearing his throat and glancing at Haley.

"Here, take the car. We'll ride with Lucas," Deb said, taking the car keys from Dan and holding them out.

Nathan took them quickly, looking over at Lucas once more, who seemed to be in an intense whisper conversation with Peyton.

He looked at Haley, who had still been talking to his parents when he approached. "Bye, Hales. Happy holidays."

"You too," Haley responded, offering him a small smile.

Nathan pretty much ran out of there after that.

As soon as he got home, he had ice wrapped in a towel, placing it on his burning face.

Haley was right. They were adults. They shouldn't have been punching each other.

But... Lucas had no right to say those things to her.

And maybe he punched him partially because he was angry, partially because he was defending Haley, and partially he just wanted him to shut up because he was worried the things Lucas was saying had some truth to them.

Dammit, Lucas.

He let out a deep breath, heading upstairs to his bedroom.

xxxx

After a long shower, he had laid back in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He heard the front door open and close, letting out a slow, deep breath at the lecture he was about to receive from Dan and Deb.

He was an adult, but it was still coming.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

He heard his bedroom door open, blinking his eyes open and sitting up quickly when he saw that it was Haley that had entered.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Party was kind of a drag after you left," She informed him, smiling slightly and sitting down at the end of his bed.

"I'm sorry, Haley," He said, sighing and looking at her.

"Don't apologize, Nathan," Haley said, shaking her head. "The more I think about it, if you hadn't done it, I probably would have."

"No, you wouldn't have," He said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her.

Haley laid her hand on the bed, glancing at his own.

He nodded, filling the empty space and taking her hand in his.

"Are you okay?" She asked him quietly, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm fine," He told her, squeezing her hand lightly. "Is Lucas still there?"

"Him and Peyton took a drive, came back and he talked to me for a bit," Haley said, nodding her head. "They were giving their kids the ten minute warning when I left."

"Why'd you leave?" He asked her quietly, raising his eyebrows.

"Because I wanted to make sure you were alright," She said, scooting up the bed until she was sitting next to him, leaning back against the headboard.

"What did he say to you?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"He said he was wrong to say those things, and that he was sorry," Haley said, looking up at him and shrugging.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled, staring at the wall in front of him and sighing.

"Stop apologizing, Nathan," She laughed, patting his leg lightly. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Because he put doubts in your head again," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "None of that was true, none of it. I want to be with you, Nathan. I didn't come to you because I feel like I'm out of options. I came back because after all these years, I've never found someone that made me feel the way you did."

He smiled at her, nodding his head and looking down at their hands.

"I need you to get more secure in this, Nathan. Okay?" She said, squeezing his hand. "Because I can't be constantly reassuring you and worrying that with the flick of a wrist you could be gone."

"I'm trying," He said, offering her a small smile.

She raised her hand, gently brushing it over his injured cheek.

"People don't generally like it when you touch their injuries, just saying," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sorry," She hummed, kissing just below the bruise on his face, resting her hand on his leg. "I wish that I could stay here tonight."

"You can," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can't," She said, shaking her head. "But I'll find a time to come over, somehow."

He nodded at her, leaning forward and kissing her lightly.

"How do you feel about Lucas knowing about us?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't like talking about Lucas when I'm trying to kiss you," He laughed, shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly and squeezing his leg. "My bad."

"I think it's good that he knows. I mean, ideally we would've had a little more time to figure things out... But, we get what we get," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"If he wants to talk to me, he can. Otherwise, I'm going to let him chill and realize that he's a dumbass," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wouldn't use those exact words if you talk to him, but okay," She hummed, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Why are you giving him a pass on this?" Nathan asked, shaking his head.

"Because he's Lucas, Nathan. He's my oldest friend. We talked about it, and we're fine," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's easier to forgive him rather than let the anger eat me up."

He looked down at her, sighing softly. He pressed a delicate kiss to her head, closing his eyes.

"I should probably go," Haley said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"Don't," He mumbled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, shaking his head.

"I can't exactly stay here," She laughed, looking up at him.

He frowned, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't give me that look," She laughed, pinching his side lightly and sitting up straighter.

"Now that I've finally come to terms with the fact that I'm stuck with you, you're done trying?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Stuck with me?" She laughed, pushing on his chest lightly. "I can't stay, Nathan. I'm sorry."

"I know," He said, tilting his head down and kissing her lightly. "Sorry for punching Lucas. And for uh, all the other stuff I said to him. My brain was not communicating with my mouth."

"I don't generally broadcast when I'm having casual sex with someone, for future reference," Haley said, standing up slowly. She leaned down and kissed him one more time, pinching his chin lightly.

Nathan stood up slowly, poking his head out of the door. No one was home yet, so that was good.

He grabbed onto her hand, leading her down the stairs. "Are you going back to the party?"

"Yeah. I brought Quinn's car. She's an angel for letting me borrow it," She laughed, smiling at him.

He nodded, leaning down and kissing her briefly. "Are you sure I can't convince you to stay? I promise that I'll set an alarm for super early tomorrow..."

She laughed, rubbing his neck and shaking her head. "I don't think so. Maybe the next night. Plus, you and Luke should probably talk... Try not to punch each other anymore though, okay?"

He smiled at her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Okay, well I'll talk to you later. Bye, Haley," He hummed, pulling open the front door for her.

She turned to him, standing on her toes and kissing him lightly. "Keep icing your face."

He grabbed onto her hand, looking down at her and raising his eyebrows, "You know this is more than just... Casual sex, right?"

She smiled up at him, nodding her head. "But there's not a label yet so that's what I'm going to call it."

"But I don't like that," He said, clearing his throat and shrugging.

"I know," She hummed, winking at him. "So maybe you should figure out the label. Catch ya later, buddy," She said, kissing him one more time, before hurrying out the door.

He sighed, waving at her as she drove off. He shook his head, stepping back inside the house.

He slowly headed up the stairs once more, stopping at the bathroom to look at his face in the mirror.

Luke had gotten him good.

He shook his head, walking across the hall to his childhood bedroom. He stepped inside, walking over to his backpack and pulling his laptop out.

He slipped one headphone into his ear, playing some music and sitting down at his desk, opening up his email and beginning to read the ones he'd missed since he'd been in Tree Hill.

It wasn't long until he heard the front door open and close.

It was followed by the sound of Lee crying, which over powered everything else.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," Nathan announced, glancing over his shoulder.

"Working? Mom is going to kill you if she finds out," Lucas said, clearing his throat and stepping into the room, Peyton trailing behind him.

Nathan chuckled, pulling his headphone out of his ear and putting it back in the case, shutting his laptop and swiveling the chair around so it was facing the door.

"She doesn't need to know," He informed his older brother, shrugging slowly.

Lucas sat down on the end of Nathan's bed, Peyton taking a seat next to him.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Nathan let out a deep breath, tapping his hands on his legs. Should he speak first? Should he wait for Lucas to say something?

If only Haley had been with him. She would've nudged him if she thought he should talk.

"Look..." Nathan trailed off, glancing at Peyton, before back at Lucas. "I'm sorry for punching you."

"I deserved it," Lucas said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "I was out of line, and I didn't even realize it until you forced me to."

"You were," Nathan said, nodding and clearing his throat. "But I should've handled it like an adult instead of like a hormonal teenager."

Lucas laughed quietly at that, kicking his foot at the ground lightly. "I was throwing a fit too."

"We're both in the wrong," Nathan said, offering him a small smile.

"This was so much harder when you two were teenagers," Peyton laughed, rubbing Lucas' back lightly. "I thought you'd need a referee, but apparently you can be in the same room without punching each other."

"Who knew?" Nathan chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "So, uh, you told Peyton about-"

"He already knows that I knew," Peyton said, clearing her throat.

"Oh," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah," Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "So... You and Haley?"

"Kinda," He mumbled, looking over at Lucas.

"Let me guess, you're going to say it's complicated. At least, that's what she said," Lucas chuckled, nodding at Nathan.

"Yeah," He said, swiveling his chair slowly.

He couldn't help but wonder what exactly went on during the conversation Lucas and Haley had. What could Haley have told him?

"I don't think she's interested in keeping things casual for much longer, just to let you know," Lucas told him, as if he read his mind.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking at him and sitting up straighter. "Why? What did she say?"

"I mean, nothing really..." Lucas trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. "I think you hurt her feelings a little bit with the whole just hooking up thing."

"Yikes," Peyton said, clearing her throat.

"Okay, wait, wait..." Nathan said, holding up his hands. "We're taking things slow and she's okay with that."

Peyton laughed, looking at Nathan and raising her eyebrows. "Nathan, I thought you knew better..."

"What, Peyton?" Nathan groaned, rolling his eyes.

"She doesn't want your indecisive shit," She told him, shrugging.

"I mean, that wasn't how she put it at all, and that's not how I would have put it either, but..." Lucas said, shaking his head.

"There are a million reasons not to be with someone, Nate. And some of them are bigger, like the fact that she lives across the country, but some of them are just you working yourself up," Peyton informed him, shrugging.

"It took you ten years to tell her how you felt about her the first time, Nathan," Lucas told him, clearing his throat.

Nathan sighed softly, pushing his hand through his hair.

Lucas was right. Peyton was right. He was scared, but why couldn't he be scared with her? Why couldn't he find the comfort in her arms instead of trying to push her away and find it on his own.

He had not thought about one other person since he'd seen her following him appear on his screen nearly two months ago now.

How long should he wait before they could be official? Why did he think too hard about things? Earlier that night he was happy with where they were, but the more he thought about it... Could he really be happy if it was hurting Haley? She'd be fine for a little bit longer, but she wouldn't wait around for someone that won't meet her half way.

And she shouldn't have to.

"What did she say to you?" Nathan asked Lucas, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing, really..." Lucas said, clearing his throat. "Just that she knew she'd made a mistake and she'd been regretting it for awhile. She feels lucky that you gave her another chance, but worried that her efforts won't be enough to persuade you to forgive her completely."

Nathan's throat ran dry at the information he'd just been provided with. Why did she feel that way?

Well, he knew why. One second he was into her, then the next second he'd turn and run.

"Just think about it, Nathan. No one is pressuring you to be with her if you don't want to, but her patience is ticking away," Peyton said, standing up and grabbing onto Lucas' hand.

Nathan nodded at her words, sinking back into his chair and sighing softly. "Thanks guys."

"See you in a bit, Nate. We have to open the one present on Christmas Eve, you know the drill," Lucas said, standing up. "Sorry for everything, little brother."

"I'm sorry too," Nathan repeated, smiling slightly as they headed out of the room.

A few minutes later, there was another knock on his door, this time it was much lighter.

He'd opened his laptop again, but truthfully he had not paid one cent of attention to it. He couldn't stop thinking about Haley.

"Come in..." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes and turning around in his chair once again, watching his mother enter the room.

"Nathan," Deb said, smiling at him.

"Lucas and I are good, Mom. You don't need to worry," Nathan assured her, shrugging.

"Good to know," Deb said, filling the space that Lucas and Peyton were once sitting on his bed.

"Surprised Dad didn't come in here with you," He noted, shutting his laptop slowly.

"He's a little upset by how the night went. I mean... You two really don't need to fight like that anymore..." Deb trailed off, clearing her throat.

"Actually, Mom... I know I brought him up but let's leave him out of it," Nathan said quickly, crossing his arms defensively.

"I was just checking in on you," Deb said, offering him a small smile. "Seems like you've had a long night."

"Yep," He said, letting out a deep breath. "But I'm good."

"Good to hear," She said, nodding at him. "How's your face?"

"It hurts," He told her, clearing his throat. "It's been awhile since I've been punched in the face."

"I don't like when you two fight," She said, shrugging slightly.

"We don't fight that often," He mumbled, shaking his head.

"You fought when you were younger," Deb said, looking at him. "Quite a bit."

"That's because I was the favorite and better than him at basketball," Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

She laughed, rolling her eyes at his comment. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and you clearly are."

He nodded, letting out a deep breath and pushing his hand through his hair.

"Oh, and I invited Theresa over for Christmas dinner!" Deb informed him, a wide smile forming on her face.

Nathan's heart dropped into his stomach at her comment, looking at her with wide eyes.

"What?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, her and her mother," Deb said, shrugging.

"You're joking, right?" He asked, standing up quickly.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. He never even messaged Theresa back, or saved her number. How was he supposed to go along with this?

Maybe he should just... Tell her they weren't actually going out. It would be a hell of a lot better than pretending.

"Why would I joke? I thought you liked her?" Deb laughed, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not actually dating her, mom! I made it up!" He said quickly.

"Finally," She said, clapping her hands together.

"I can't believe you'd- wait, what?" He asked her, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"I know what's been going on, Nathan, I'm not stupid. Plus, at most you'd spent the night at her house and gone on one date with her," Deb said, shrugging her shoulders.

"What do you mean you know what's been going on?" Nathan asked her, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"There's only one thing that would've made you punch Lucas, and she walked down from the roof with you two," Deb said, sending him a pointed look.

Nathan sat back in his chair, letting out a deep breath. "Oh. So you really did figure it out."

Deb nodded, smiling slightly at him. "And I've seen you texting her. You're not exactly discreet. I mean, enough so your father doesn't know."

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, staring at his bedroom door and sighing softly.

"So, are you going to tell me?" Deb asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I thought you were acting weird with the whole dating thing.." He ignored her question, shaking his head.

"That's because I was trying to get you to talk to me, kind of like I'm doing now," Deb said, gesturing at him to speak.

He sighed, rubbing his neck and looking over at her. "I don't know what to do, Mom," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm so confused in all of this."

"Start at the beginning. Not the beginning-beginning, but when you started again," Deb said, offering him a small smile.

After a brief version of the story, Nathan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"So your problem is what, exactly?" Deb asked him, sending him a confused look.

"Were you not listening?" Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Oh, no. I was listening," She said, leaning back on her arms against his bed. "I just don't understand why you're so confused."

"What do you mean? Mom, she pulverized my heart. I've never even been able to tell another girl that I love them ever again, and if they tell me, I break up with them," He said quickly, shaking his head.

"That's not exactly how it works, Nathan," Deb said, clearing her throat. "I think you've never been able to say that to anyone, because you've never loved anyone like you loved her."

Nathan sat up straighter, nodding at her to continue.

"And, you don't want to make things official, because what? You'll miss out on the single life? Because you want to be able to back out at any time?" Deb questioned him, shrugging her shoulders. "Because I seriously doubt you have dates with other people lined up, and I know you won't back out of this. If you did, it would be the same as breaking up with her."

Deb stood up slowly, gesturing for Nathan to do the same.

When he did, she stepped over to him and rested her arms on his shoulders.

She made a good point... They were pretty much already official. If she'd gone on a date with someone else, he'd freak out. If she decided she didn't want to do this anymore, it would hurt like a heartbreak. They could never be two friends just hanging out. That's why they always ended up kissing, or in bed together.

He couldn't remember the last time his life didn't revolve around his job, but since they'd been talking... It was about her. He'd bought clothes he thought she'd like, wore cologne that she'd like... Even on the days he didn't see her, he was still thinking of her.

Nathan looked down at his mother, sighing softly and shaking his head. "I guess I better figure my shit out then."

"Yeah, probably," Deb said, hugging him briefly. "Now come on, we have some pajamas to open up."

"Shh... You can't spoil what they are," Nathan joked, following after her.

His family had not been like this growing up. He disliked his parents most of the time, and thought Lucas was okay but he preferred going out with his friends. In fact, if Haley had not always been around Lucas, he probably would've hardly had a relationship with him.

Now they were getting stupid ass matching pajamas on Christmas Eve and taking goofy pictures that he hated but the kids loved.

As they made their way downstairs, Sawyer all but threw herself into his legs, wanting for him to pick her up.

He lifted her off the ground with ease, smiling when her arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him tightly. A hug that he really needed at that moment.

After each of them opened up a pair of pajamas (shocker) that thankfully weren't complete matching this year, just color coordinating. They took some pictures, then ate cookies and drinking hot chocolate that Sawyer and Lee had helped Deb and Dan bake earlier that day.

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, sitting on the couch and letting out a deep breath.

Someone took a seat next to him, and he didn't open his eyes until he felt a tap on his arm.

"Who do you see next to you, Nathan?" Peyton asked him quietly, raising her eyebrows.

"Hm?" Nathan questioned, shaking his head.

"This is what made Lucas and I realize we wanted to be together... Someone asked us this question. So... When you close your eyes, who do you see next to you? It can even be next Christmas, you don't need to worry about forever quite yet..."

Nathan closed his eyes again, letting out a deep breath.

He felt it. He felt the weight lifted from his shoulders. It was Haley, of course it was Haley.

After a moment, his eyes snapped open and he looked over at Peyton.

"What time are we waking up tomorrow?" He asked her quickly, standing up.

"Seven," Peyton informed him, raising her eyebrows up at him. "But... If I set the clock an hour behind I think I can trick them into eight."

"Do that," Nathan said quickly, nodding. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked from across the room, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, looking at each person in the room, before answering.

"I'm going to get my girl."


	10. Chapter 10

**This one is a little bit shorter but I just wanted to update this story! It's almost finished. Sorry it took so long! I've pretty much typed it up four different times and I wasn't satisfied until this one.**

Nathan tossed a penny up at Haley's bedroom window, praying it didn't damage the glass or anything.

He'd tossed pebbles up there plenty of times, but this was all he could find in his dad's car.

He couldn't believe he was here, doing this. It always came back to her. He'd fought it for too long.

He was surprised that he'd pulled up to the curb and jumped out of the car immediately. He knew himself, and he knew that normally he would've drove around the block a few times, attempting to talk himself both out, and into this.

But this was Haley. He didn't owe himself anymore of an explanation than that.

But why wasn't she coming to the damn window? She was home.

Quinn and Clay's car was here. Along with several others.

Where could she be? Why wasn't she answering?

She wasn't that deep of a sleeper.

He tossed another coin up at the window, cringing at the loud noise. Must have been a quarter.

But that still didn't get her.

Dammit, Haley. If he had to climb up there and knock on the window-

"Nathan?"

He whipped around to see the girl of his thoughts standing behind him.

Within a second, he'd stepped to her quickly, gathering her in his arms, leaning down and kissing her.

Haley didn't hesitate to return his kiss, her hands raising to rest on his cheeks.

He put everything into that kiss. Every thought he'd had since the moment they'd seen each other again.

He was pretty sure he'd almost knocked her over because of it.

After a moment, he'd removed his mouth from hers, and instead of saying anything, he hugged her tightly.

Haley didn't say anything either. She just returned his hug, one hand nestling in the short hair on the back of his hair, the other gripping the hood of his sweatshirt.

Nathan pressed his face into her hair, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, squeezing her tightly to him.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked him, pressing a kiss to his hair, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not," He informed her, letting out a slow, deep breath. He lifted up his head from her neck, looking down at her.

A billion thoughts were running through his head right now, but of course, they all lead back to her.

"Oh?" She asked him quietly, smoothing her hands down his shoulders.

"I'm not good with words, Haley, you know that," He began, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't say that," She argued, shaking her head.

"Sure, sure..." He laughed, clearing his throat and smiling down at her.

She was everything.

"I've been doing some self reflecting..." He informed her, offering her a small nod. "In the last... Forty minutes or so?"

"Good or bad?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

He let out a laugh, shrugging his shoulders. "Y'know, Haley James, usually it means bad. But... I don't think this is bad at all," He informed him, a small grin forming on his face.

"Well get to it then. Self reflecting?" She said, nudging him.

Great. She knew. He could see it in her eyes that she knew exactly what was happening.

He may as well just kiss her, and then he wouldn't have to figure out what to say, because she already knew.

He let out a deep breath, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"After some thought, I've come to the conclusion that I no longer want my life to progress without you by my side... Officially," He said, clearing his throat.

"Really?" She hummed out, taking a small step closer to him.

He felt his blood pressure rise at the simple act.

"Really," He confirmed, resting his hands on her waist. "That was bad."

"I think you're doing better than you think you are," Haley informed him, standing on her toes and kissing him quickly.

Now it was her that almost knocked him down. Her that was throwing all of her emotions into him.

And boy did he feel them. He felt them right along with her.

The pain. The confusion. But mostly the... Well... The 'L-word.'

"What changed?" She asked him after kissing him for a minute.

He let out a deep breath, smiling at her. "I talked to Lucas..."

That surprised her. Maybe he could surprise her every once and awhile.

"Dammit, see if I ever tell him anything ever again," She mumbled, shaking her head.

"I just... I don't understand why you were so different with him than you were with me," He said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "With me... You were very, I don't know, relaxed with our relationship."

"Well..." Haley trailed off, sighing softly. "I didn't want to freak you out, I guess?"

He rested his forehead on her's briefly, closing his eyes. "I care about you so much, Haley... I didn't mean to hurt you at all. You should've just told me I was being a dumbass."

"You weren't, baby..." She said quickly, holding his face in her hands. "You had every right to be hesitant and want to take things slow, and that's why I didn't push you too hard."

He kissed the tip of her nose lightly, blinking his eyes open and looking down at her. "I want everything with you, Haley James. I want your weird quirks, your constant talking... I want the way that you begin to ramble when you get nervous or upset. I want the way you change me to be a better person, even if it's not on purpose..." He whispered, stroking his hand down the side of her face lightly. "I want how when your feet are cold you stick them on me to warm them up and how you encourage us to go out but then always try to seduce me into going home, and how it works almost every time," He said, grinning when she let out a laugh. "And that laugh... I want that laugh forever..." He hummed out, kissing her nose again. "I know it's not going to be easy, and we still have a lot to figure out... But most of all, Haley, I want you."

Haley smiled up at him, kissing him again, her hands coming to rest on his chest, gripping his sweatshirt tightly.

Nathan held her close, his eyes fluttering shut once again.

"I don't think you're a bad at this as you think you are, Scott," She mumbled against his lips, before pulling away and grinning up at him.

"So, is that a yes? You'll be my girlfriend?" He hummed, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I don't think you even needed to ask that," She laughed, hugging him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder.

He felt a gust of wind remind him that they were still outside, his eyes slanting down to her once again. "Haley, what were you doing out here?"

"I was just... Taking a walk," She mumbled into his sweatshirt, shrugging slightly.

"Alone? By yourself? At night?" He asked her, shaking his head and scowling.

"Mhm," She responded, rather than addressing the annoyance in his voice. "Are you staying the night, or what?"

Nathan glanced over to her house, there were quite a few lights still on. He looked down at her, but she was still rubbing her cheek against him, eyes closed.

"I'm going to need a few things, of course," He said, clearing his throat.

"Go ahead," She hummed, finally looking up at him.

"A toothbrush," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"I can manage that," She said, winking up at him.

"An unused toothbrush," He specified, clearing his throat.

"Ah, yes, because I was going to take my nephew's Spider-Man toothbrush and give it to you," She said sarcastically.

"Wait- do you have a Spider-Man- you know what, it doesn't matter, any will do," He said, smirking slightly. "Preferably the color blue, but I'll take whatever."

"I'll look around. Any other demands?" She asked him, laughing quietly.

"I get to be the big spoon," He said, tapping her nose.

"I was going to make you sleep on the floor. Are you kidding? In a house full of my family we're not sharing a bed," She joked, winking at him.

"You're right, you get too handsy in the mornings..." He hummed, glancing over at the car he arrived in. "Maybe I'll just go home."

"No, no!" She argued, squeezing him tightly to her. "I'll control myself. Of course, you can be the big spoon. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" He asked, raising his eyebrows down at her.

"I forgot how much of an ass you are when you're my boyfriend," She joked, smiling up at him.

He felt his heart jump out of his chest at her words.

They felt right. So, so right...

He leaned down and kissed her quickly.

She returned the kiss just as urgently, pulling him closer to her.

The front door open and closed loudly behind them, causing them to part.

Nathan's back was to it, but he'd heard the voice of Jimmy James calling to Lydia as he exited the house.

Why did this always happen to them? They never got to tell anyone their exciting news. They always got walked in on.

They were in front of Jimmy's house, so it made sense.

He saw Haley cautiously look past him, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Hi, Dad," She offered, clearing her throat.

Nathan turned around slowly to see Jimmy's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, your mother is going to love this," Jimmy said quickly, waving the trash bag that was in his hands around. "It is something, right? Not just a h-"

"Yes," Haley answered quickly, shaking her head and sighing, looking up at Nathan with a smile.

"Okay, okay..." Jimmy rushed over to the big trash can, throwing the bag in before looking at them again. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see this. You two come in and tell her."

"What?" Haley asked, laughing quietly.

"I forgot to get her a present, so this will do," Jimmy joked, winking at them. "Kidding, of course. Come inside in a few minutes."

And with that, he was gone.

Nathan looked down at Haley, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe we should sneak through the window instead," Haley said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"Well, my third demand was no more sneaking around," He said, kissing her forehead.

"Fine," She laughed. "We'll play my dad's little game."

"For a little while," He said, nodding down at her. "And then you're going to get super tired an insist we go to bed."

"I am?" She hummed out, grinning up at him. "And then what?"

"We get to make out and then go to bed for real," He laughed, kissing her forehead.

"I like this plan," She informed him, patting his chest. "Okay, I'm in."

He laughed, leaning down and kissing her once more.

"I feel it, Haley James," He whispered in her ear.

That made zero sense.

But when he met her eyes, she didn't look confused at all. She just smiled and nodded back to him, confirming that she felt it too.

The l-word.

xxxx

He smiled at Haley from his spot on her bed, tucking his arms behind his head and watching her as she went through her nightly routine.

A few steps had been added since they were young college students.

When he asked her what she was doing, she told him it was to keep her from getting old, to which he laughed and rolled his eyes.

He, on the other hand had pretty much brushed his teeth and then sat on her bed. And that was like ten minutes ago.

Lydia had been overjoyed to see them. But she'd been quiet too, as to not wake up the kids all over the house.

He'd never heard someone whisper scream in excitement.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, looking at him through the vanity in her room, raising her eyebrows.

"How early I'm going to have to leave tomorrow," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Right. You probably want to get back to see Sawyer and Lee..." She hummed, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"I do," He confirmed, smiling at her. "Are you ever planning on coming to bed?"

She smiled, rolling her eyes at him. "You know, I'm probably going to make you start doing this with me."

"I like aging," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"Not to stop that, just because I don't want to do it alone," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus it's just good for you."

"We'll see," He said, clearing his throat.

She stood up after a few moments, leaving the room.

He raised his eyebrows, picking up one of the pillows off her bed and hugging it to his chest.

She entered a minute later, closing the door and locking it behind her, turning the light off as well. "Okay, my dear, I am all done," She laughed, crawling onto the bed next to him.

He smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her cheek. He grinned, touching his nose to her cheek again. "Your face smells good, I'll give you that."

She laughed, turning her head and pressing her lips to his briefly. "This feels right, doesn't it, Nathan?"

"It does," He confirmed, reaching across her and turning off the lamp that was on her night stand. "Kinda wish we were drunk though, because we lose all memory of other people in this home when we're drunk."

"Damn us for having a conscience," She joked, rolling her eyes.

Once his eyes adjusted to the dark a little bit, he slid down, settling into the bed and opening his arm up to her.

She saddled up next to him, her head resting on his chest, her arm laid across his stomach.

"Maybe we can go to my apartment tomorrow night," He joked, shaking his head.

She laughed, stroking her hand over his stomach lightly. "Maybe you should sleep without your shirt on?"

"Maybe you'd get too turned on," He mumbled, laughing quietly.

"Maybe I'll take my shirt off if you take yours off," She countered.

He smirked slightly, rolling his eyes. "Well then maybe I won't be able to sleep, and I'll have to sneak out and take a cold shower."

"Maybe I could join you," She hummed, kissing his chest lightly.

"Or maybe, we can just end this conversation right here," He said quickly, shaking his head.

"You're a 27 year old with too much willpower," She laughed, shaking her head. "When you were twenty, I could get you to do whatever I wanted with the flick of my wrist."

He laughed at her comment, kissing her forehead. "I taught you everything you know, Haley James. Don't think I couldn't do the same to you."

"Oh, I know you could," She laughed, shaking her head. "But I'm saying, if you take off your shirt, there's a very good chance I'll take off mine too. And that definitely would have worked on you when you were twenty. Even in a house full of people."

He looked at her, sighing at her suggestive gaze.

Dammit. He was melting.

He nudged her to sit up, rolling his eyes. "Well, it turns out your suggestive tone and big brown eyes still work on me today," He mumbled, quickly yanking his shirt over his head.

She laughed, rubbing her hand over his back, a grin on her face.

He turned and looked at her expectantly, raising his eyebrows.

"Well?" Nathan said, gesturing at his torso.

"In your dreams," She hummed, rolling over so that her back was facing him.

"You're terrible," He grumbled, pulling her back onto her back, looking down at her.

"Oh, Nathan, as soon as my shirt comes off, we'll be done for," She reminded him, shaking her head. "Is that what you want?"

He maneuvered himself until he was on top of her, supporting himself with his arms and raising his eyebrows at her.

Haley was laughing quietly until she met his eyes, and then her laugh got caught in her throat.

Her hand stroked up his torso, before coming to rest on the side of his face.

Nathan kissed her quickly.

And she gave in just as easily, deepening the kiss almost immediately.

Pretty soon, he was supporting himself on one arm, the other slowly sliding into the shirt she was wearing.

She grabbed his hand and moved it back to her waist, not breaking the kiss.

He smirked slightly, ignoring her and continuing his hand's trek once again.

Haley hummed slightly, pulling him even closer to her.

He considered it a small victory that she didn't move his hand down once again.

"You're asking for trouble," She mumbled quietly, before continuing to kiss him.

"Maybe it's you that can't resist me," He informed her, pulling back and raising his eyebrows.

"I think there's some truth to that," She mumbled, pulling him down and kissing him again.

Nathan kissed her for a moment, before kissing her cheek, along her jaw, before making a slow trail down her neck.

Haley squeezed her eyes shut, letting him continue for a little while, before she was tugging on his hair lightly.

He looked up at her, raising his eyebrows. "Hm?"

"You're right. Shirts stay on. I can resist you anymore than you can resist me," She laughed, nodding at him.

He smirked at her, kissing her briefly, before falling on the bed next to her, reaching his arm down and grabbing his t-shirt off the ground.

"You staying the night was a bad idea," She informed him, rolling her eyes as he pulled his shirt on.

"Probably," He said, clearing his throat. "You're a bad influence on me."

"Me?" She gasped, cuddling up next to him when he laid down once again. "You instigated it."

"No, you did," He argued, kissing her head lightly. "With your little deal, and then you didn't hold up your end."

"It's a good thing I didn't," She laughed, shaking her head and smiling at him. "I'm so happy that you're here though."

Nathan smiled at her words, looking down at her.

He felt his heart start to race. She was it for him. She'd always been it for him.

He even knew at the ripe old age of eight. And here he was, nearly twenty years later, still pining after her.

"I think I'll keep you around for awhile," He informed her, nodding slowly.

"Good," She said, kissing his chin lightly. "And I think going back to your apartment in Charlotte is sounding more tempting by the minute."

"We could come back for New Years..." He hummed, shrugging his shoulders.

"One problem... Neither of us have cars and I don't think that Quinn will love it if we take hers..." Haley trailed off, shaking her head.

"My dad owns a car dealership. Let's just take one of his," He said quickly, shrugging. "Or I could buy a new car."

She laughed, patting his stomach lightly. "Or we could just... Stay in a hotel for a couple of nights?"

"I like that plan too," He mumbled, kissing her head. "All I know is, staying at my parent's house was a hell of a lot easier when I didn't have you."

"Same," She laughed, kissing his cheek lightly. "We'll figure it out tomorrow, okay? Goodnight, Nathan."

"Okay. Goodnight, Haley James."

One thought passed through his mind after those words:

I love you.


	11. Chapter 11

Nathan yawned, feeling around the bed.

When his hand hit the empty sheets, he opened his eyes quickly and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

After a moment, he sat up in the bed, leaning back against the headboard and yawning quietly.

It wasn't long before Haley hurried out of the connecting bathroom, putting an earring into her ear, stepping over to her walk-in closet quickly.

"What time is it?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, looking over at the nightstand next to the side of the bed that he was laying on, sighing when his phone wasn't there.

"You left it charging in the kitchen," Haley informed him, humming and walking out with shoes. "It's 7:45."

"Aren't you supposed to-"

"Yes," She replied quickly, shaking her head and sitting down on the end of the bed, beginning to put her heels on.

He took in her outfit, letting out a deep breath. Damn she looked great in a pencil skirt. Her hair was pulled up into a neat bun on top of her head, leaving her tan neck exposed to him.

It didn't take him long to escape from the blankets and slide into the seat behind her easily, his arms wrapping around her.

"This is the reason I'm running late. You kept me up last night," She said, tapping his forearms.

Nathan ignored her commented, leaning his head down to kiss her neck, his eyes fluttering shut.

The past two months of their relationship had been nothing short of incredible. Of course, he couldn't expect anything but that from Haley.

They'd really clicked and fell into a natural system.

Things were occasionally a little rough, especially because he lived in North Carolina and she lived in Arizona.

Thankfully, he had plenty of opportunities to travel to Arizona for his job.

She'd come to Charlotte a couple of times too.

They'd started the conversation multiple times, but each time it had ended with them deciding to put it off until she finished the school year.

"Nathan..." Haley hummed out, tilting her head back until it connected with his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Put a shirt on, please." She laughed, tapping on his chin until he met her mouth in a searing kiss that she'd think about all day.

He laughed, nudging his nose against her's.

This morning seemed very familiar... Probably because almost the exact same thing had happened the day before.

"I really don't have time," She said, finally standing up and turning to look at him.

"Call in sick," He mumbled, grabbing onto her hand and shaking his head.

"I'm afraid that my sick days are dwindling because of you," She laughed, running her fingers through his hair.

"Quit," He suggested, humming softly.

"Great idea," She laughed, shaking her head. "You have stuff to do in Phoenix today anyways, so don't talk me into staying when you're just going to leave."

He nodded, following after her as she hurried out of the room.

He followed her into the kitchen, where she grabbed an apple to eat on her drive, before she pretty much propelled herself to him, giving him a kiss that ended far too early.

"Alright, I have to go!" She said, hurrying towards the front door. "I love you, bye!"

Nathan raised his eyebrows at her words.

Haley paused at the front door, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head at herself. She pulled a face, before heading out the door.

Somehow they'd gone the whole two months of their relationship without saying that to each other.

Of course, they weren't exactly a shock to him... But he knew that probably wasn't her preferred way to say it.

He hurried to the door, pulling it open and poking his head outside, sighing since she was already gone.

He pushed his hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing his phone and then heading back into the living room and taking a seat.

A grin formed on his face at the sudden realization that Haley had told him she loved him. And there was something special about how casually she said it... Like it wasn't even a thought. Not to mention, she loved him.

He loved her, of course. Now that she'd said it, he didn't understand why it had seemed like a big deal to say it. She definitely knew he felt the same. How could he not?

She was Haley, and that was enough explanation for him.

He glanced at his phone, letting out a deep breath when it started vibrating.

Clay.

He picked up the phone, humming softly. "Clayton."

"Nathan," Clay responded, chuckling quietly. "Just checking in. You remember your meeting today, right?"

"All of the sudden I feel like you're my boss, when I thought we were equal," Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, no!" Clay said quickly, laughing. "I didn't mean for it to seem like that... I just know how smothered by Haley you get that your brain kinda..."

Nathan rolled his eyes, grinning slightly as he trailed off.

"Forget about anything but her?" He laughed, "Well, had I been able to convince her to skip work today, this phone call probably would've been helpful. But I did remember my meeting today. It's at ten o'clock, which means I should get there are nine-thirty."

"Okay, good," Clay responded. "When are you coming home?"

"Well, I'm flying to Florida on Sunday night then I'm heading back to Charlotte on Wednesday," Nathan said, leaning back against the couch.

"And then?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"On Friday, I'm flying to Toronto," He said, chuckling quietly.

"You are crazy, Nathan. You might as well just sell your apartment and move in with Quinn and me. It's pretty much a waste having it," Clay chuckled, rolling his eyes. "You know that we have other people that can take some of this off of you. Do you to hire a new person?"

"No, I like it," Nathan said quickly, clearing his throat. "Listen, I have to talk to you about something actually-"

"Oh, shit. Logan is crying," He said quickly, cutting him off. "Quinn's taking some pictures, so it's just me. I have to go."

"You're good," Nathan dismissed, hanging up the phone and letting out a sigh.

He ran his hand through his hair, clearing his throat and standing up, heading back into Haley's room to get ready.

xxxx

Nathan knocked lightly on the door frame that entered Haley's classroom, poking his head in and smiling slightly at her.

She glanced up at him from her desk, raising her eyebrows when she noticed who it was. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked him, a smile forming on her face.

"Thought I'd bring you some lunch," He informed her, holding up the brown paper bag with food in it.

"A man after my heart," She laughed, gesturing for him to enter. "Come in. I'm just doing some grading. I only have a little while but I'll take what I can get with you."

"That's fine," He hummed, walking over and setting the bag on her desk. He grabbed a chair that was sitting off to the side of the whiteboard, placing it next to her desk and smiling.

"You're the sweetest," She hummed, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "Thank you."

"I do what I can," He laughed, raising her hand up and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"And you look good," She informed him, leaning backwards so she could take in his appearance again.

He laughed, glancing down. He had not changed out of his suit from his meeting yet.

He met her eyes, winking at her and letting out a deep breath, grabbing his lunch out of the bag.

After eating for a few minutes and making small talk, Nathan cleared his throat and looked at her.

He dreaded what he was about to do.

"So, I kinda have to talk to you about something..." He began, clearing his throat, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

Haley's smile fell, instead her bottom lip wedged between her teeth, eyebrows raising.

She waited for him to speak, and just when he was about to, she cut him off.

"Is this about this morning? Because, we can just forget it if it was too soon..." She said, clearing her throat.

"What?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, right. This morning. No. Well, I do want to talk about that, but after I talk about this..."

"Okay..." She said slowly, her eyes glancing down at their joined hands.

"I have to leave tonight," He informed her, clearing his throat.

"Stop," She said, dropping his hand and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Haley, come on..." He said, sighing softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," She said, letting out a deep breath.

It wasn't fine. She said the words but she didn't mean them, and he knew that. He was supposed to be here another five days. He'd just gotten there on Friday, and it was only Tuesday.

"Haley..." He sighed, brushing his hand through his hair. "It's just... I have to go to California to work out a shoe deal that's having an issue."

"Can't someone else do it?" She asked him, shaking her head and looking at him.

Nathan paused, his eyes drifting to the ground.

He wasn't sure how to answer that question. Yeah, probably someone else could do it. But this was his job. And he would've done it before they'd gotten back together, and he felt obligated to continue doing it.

"Someone else can do it," She confirmed her own question, letting out a frustrated sigh. "But you're Nathan Scott. You want to do things on your own, and you want it done the way you want it done."

"Hey, don't be like that," He said softly, grabbing her hand again. "It's my job, Haley."

"Yeah, well sometimes you need to get your priorities straight, Nathan," She said, looking at him and shaking her head.

"Okay, that's not fair," He said quickly, scowling at her. "This morning, I asked you to stay, you said you couldn't, and I didn't push it."

"That's different," Haley said quickly, pulling her hand back and crossing her arms.

"How so?" He responded, a feeling of irritation suddenly overcoming him.

"Because I only needed to be gone for a few hours. I won't see you for a few weeks now."

This wasn't fair. He understood her frustration, because he was upset about it too. But she wasn't being fair to him. It was he job, and he loved his job. His world revolved around it, up until a few months ago. Yeah, it sucked that they wouldn't be able to see each other, but he'd understand if it was the other way around... Probably.

"I'm really sorry, Haley," He said softly, shaking his head. "I have nothing else to say but that. I don't want to go, I'd much rather stay with you."

"But you can stay with me, Nathan! You're choosing to go," She argued, looking away from him and letting out a sigh.

"My flight leaves at eight, so we still have time," He said softly, clearing his throat.

She pushed her food away from her, picking up her pen and pulling the stack of papers out of her drawer once again.

"What? Now you're going to ignore me?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not ignoring you, Nathan," She said, glancing at him. "I just have nothing else to say."

"I told you how much I love to travel, Haley..." He trailed off, clearing his throat.

"Yep," She responded, turning her eyes back to the papers.

"And you know how much I love my job..." He trailed off.

"For some reason, I thought eventually I'd out weigh those two," She said softly, shaking her head.

He shut his mouth, any response that had formed on his tongue was now muted. This wasn't fair to either of them now. No matter what, he'd let himself down.

If he didn't go, he'd worry and stress about someone less experienced than him running a big deal for one of his clients. But if he did... He'd hurt Haley.

"It's fine, Nathan," Haley said, glancing at him. "I can see the battle going on in your head, and I concede. Just go."

He frowned at her, letting out a deep breath. "Haley... I.."

"No. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I need to get back to work. Can you take this stuff to my house and put it in the fridge?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan felt like he'd been kicked in the gut at her words. It was stupid but... She usually just said home.

Can you take this home and put it in the fridge?

He'd much rather hear that phrase come out of her mouth than the one that did. It hurt a little.

But he was hurting her, so why wouldn't she hurt him a little back?

He stood up slowly, leaning down and kissing her head, gathering up her food and placing it back into the bag.

After a moment, he sat back down and looked at her. "Haley, please..."

"Look, Nathan, it sucks but... It doesn't matter. It's your job and you like it, so you should do it. My opinion is irrelevant in the matter. I know you, and I know that this is important to you," She said quickly, looking at him and shaking her head.

"Your words aren't matching your tone or your body language," He said quietly, clearing his throat.

"Well, I guess I should've expected it because when I stayed the long weekend at your apartment a couple weeks ago, you'd left before I even woke up Monday morning. So we spent two days together, when we could've spent most of Monday together because I purposely booked an overnight flight so I could spend the whole day with you, even though I'd be really tired for school the next day."

His eyes moved to the ground, a feeling of shame overwhelming him.

"And, last time you came here, you cut your trip a day early too because some Football player was having an emergency in Houston," She said, clearing her throat.

He let out a sigh, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Their schedules were busy, and it was terrible living so far apart, because like she said... They probably wouldn't see each other for a few weeks now.

But it was a problem for the end of the school year, right?

"So, what exactly are you saying, Haley?" He asked her quietly, raising his eyebrows and looking at her.

"I'm just saying that it's your job, and I understand, but I'd like it if you took me into consideration," She said quietly, shaking her head.

"I do!" He argued, clearing his throat. "I promise that I do, Haley..."

Haley looked at him, tapping her pen on her desk lightly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey," He said quickly, reaching his hand out and grabbing onto hers. "Please, don't be upset with me... I'm just... Well, you know that I'm busy."

"Yep," She replied, nodding at him.

"Come on, Hales... This isn't fair," He said softly, brushing his thumb along her knuckles.

"No, it's not," She said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's not like I want to leave," He attempted to assure her.

But he could tell she didn't buy it.

"I know," She replied flatly, offering him another shoulder shrug.

"You're upset," He said softly.

No shit, Sherlock. Of course she's upset. How could she not be upset with him? Apparently he had a track record for this and had not even noticed.

"Do what you have to do, Nathan. It's your career," She said simply, giving his hand a light squeeze.

"I'll make it up to you..." He trailed off, nodding at her.

"Yep," She replied, clearing her throat.

She was mad. Oh, boy was she mad. He could see how tense her shoulders were and the fire in her eyes.

But she was at work so she was being very professional.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the bell that signaled lunch was over rang.

"I'll see you," She told him, nodding at him, her eyes turning back to her papers.

Nathan stood up slowly, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, grabbing the food and hurrying out before her students came in.

xxxx

When he heard the front door open and close, he winced at the conversation that was going to happen.

Thankfully, he'd already packed his bag so Haley wouldn't have to watch him do it.

He'd made sure to clean up every single mess he made for the rest of the day, leaving her house completely spotless.

The last thing he needed to do was upset her more.

He felt guilt ridden. He shouldn't be leaving her...

Had he not already agreed to go before speaking to her, he wouldn't have left.

This kind of put a damper on the whole 'I love you' she dropped this morning.

"Hey baby," He said once she entered the bedroom, removing his suitcase from the bed and placing it on the ground.

Her eyes moved to the suitcase, before up to his eyes. Her gaze was intense, as if she was challenging him to stay rather than to go because she knew he wouldn't.

"How was your day?" He asked her when she didn't respond.

Wrong question. She looked at him like she was going to hurdle the heels she'd just removed from her feet at him.

"Right," He said, clearing his throat and shoving his hands into his pocket. "Well, I, uh... Thought maybe I could make you dinner tonight before I go?"

"Sure," She mumbled, setting the shoes in their rightful spot in her closet.

He sighed, pushing his hand through his hair and taking a seat at the end of the bed. He watched her grab some clothes off the racks in her closet, her eyes glancing over at him.

She grabbed the door handle of the closet, pulling it shut.

He let out another sigh. She was pissed at him. So pissed that of course she wasn't going to change in front of him.

Not that he blamed her.

When she walked out, she was now wearing jeans and a loose shirt.

"Haley," He said quietly, clearing his throat when her eyes darted to his.

"Nathan, I'm trying not to be upset with you right now but the more you talk to me, the less it's working. I've been dealing with bratty high school students that don't know why I was in such a terrible mood all afternoon, and weren't very considerate to it. So I don't need to hear anymore of your apologies, because they aren't helping."

He cleared his throat, rubbing his neck. "I, uh, I was just going to say that I think your shirt is on backwards."

Haley glanced down, letting out a frustrated sigh, tugging her arms into her shirt and flipping it around quickly.

"But... I know that I suck," He told her, nodding slowly.

Her hard glare softened slightly, shaking her head. "No, Nathan," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just really upset with you right now, and I just... This is harder than I thought it was going to be."

He let out a deep breath, pushing his hand through his hair. "What do you want me to do, Haley? Do you want me to cancel and stay so we can fight about this?"

"No, I wanted you to think about me before you even agreed to leaving," She said simply.

"I'm always thinking about you," He said quietly, standing up and looking down at her.

She sighed, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes. "This isn't working..." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

If his heart wasn't pounding before, it definitely was now. It was ringing in his ears. He couldn't believe the words that had just left her mouth.

"What?" He asked her, his hand shooting up to take her face gently and make her look at him. "What do you mean by that?"

She offered him a small smile, standing on her toes and kissing him. "I'm sorry for how that sounded. I didn't mean that we aren't working, I just mean... This situation isn't working."

She let out a deep breath, before speaking again. "I love you, Nathan," She whispered, resting her hand on his chest.

Before he could respond, she'd giving him a light push away from her, crossing her arms again. "I'm not breaking up with you, not even a little bit. We just need to figure something else out, because this is too hard."

He sat down on her bed slowly, letting out a deep sigh. "My job is really important to me, Haley..."

"I know," She responded, shrugging her shoulders. "And I don't want to change that, Nathan. I just wish things weren't so hard. I wish I saw you more often."

"I do too," He said, smiling up at her. "Please understand, Haley... Please."

She looked at him, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Come on, Hales..." He begged, reaching forward and uncrossing her arms so that he could take one of her hands in his own. "Understand."

"I just don't want to be last place, Nathan," She told him, letting out a deep breath.

"Last place?" He asked, shaking his head quickly. "You could never be last place."

"Well you made me feel like it today," She informed him, shrugging her shoulders, tugging her hand away, wrapping her arms around herself defensively,

He stood up quickly at her words, staring down at her and shaking his head.

How could she ever think that? Last place?

"Are you kidding me?" He asked her quickly, staring down at her with wide eyes. "You're first place."

"Then why aren't you staying here, Nathan?" She asked him, shifting on her feet.

"Because I can't. But if I can, I'll come back," He said quickly, clearing his throat. "Maybe it will only take a day to figure out."

"I hope so," She offered him unenthusiastically, shrugging.

He let out a sigh, cautiously reaching his hand up, grabbing her chin with his pointer finger and thumb, forcing her to look up at him. "Haley..."

When she met his eyes, Nathan felt even more guilty than he had before. He was an idiot, that's for sure. He could see the sadness in her eyes. He felt the same sadness, because he truthfully didn't want to be leaving her either.

He tilted his head down, ghosting his lips over hers quickly. "Forgive me."

"I will," She assured him, sighing softly. "I just hate when you leave. The whole long distance thing is worse than I thought it would be. And I just didn't know you'd be so... Busy."

"You have a job that's five days a week, Haley," He reminded her, clearing his throat.

"In the same place. Your job takes you from Florida, to Canada, to Utah all in one week," She said, biting her lip.

It really wasn't fair to her to try to compare their jobs, because it was just going to make her feel worse, which he definitely didn't want to do.

And she was right. He'd been doing this job as a mostly single guy (give or take a few short relationships scattered in there) for years and now he wasn't single.

"I'll figure it out," He said, kissing her forehead and letting out a deep breath. "Do you think you can spend the next few hours with me without trying to kill me?"

Haley rested her hands on his sides, standing on her toes and kissing him delicately and briefly.

When she parted, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead agains his shoulder.

Nathan let out a sigh, wrapping his arms around her as well, closing his eyes. "For what it's worth... I'll miss you."

"I know," She mumbled, pressing a light kiss to his shoulder.

He rubbed his hands up and down her back lightly, clearing his throat. "And I promise, next time... I won't do this. I promise."

"Okay," She responded, biting her lip lightly.

He knew she didn't believe him, but he was telling the truth. He really didn't realize that this was a pattern, but apparently it was.

"And I'm going to come back... If you want me to, that is?" He said, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"If you can, I'd love to have you," She said quietly, clearing her throat.

"I'm going to work out the deal in one, two days tops and then I'm going to come back and spend the rest of the week with you. No work," He said, kissing her forehead. "Okay?"

"No work? At all?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows suspiciously.

"Maybe a little when you're not home, but once you're home, I'm going to be all yours," He said, clearing his throat. "And I promise to do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

She smiled slightly at him, standing on her toes and kissing him again. "Okay, I'm going to hold you to it, Scott."

He nodded at her. He wouldn't expect any less. But he had to hold his word on this one, or else she'd be hurt again.

In what seemed like minutes, although it was actually a few hours, there were standing in the familiar airport scene once again.

Haley was hugging Nathan tightly. So tight that he almost couldn't breathe.

"I'll be back day after tomorrow," He whispered, rubbing her back lightly.

"I know... I'm just going to miss you," She said, offering a small laugh that didn't seem genuine at all.

He smiled at her, leaning down and kissing her lightly. "I'll call you when I land," He said softly.

"You better," She responded, smoothing her hand over his shirt.

"I wish you could come with me," He mumbled, nodding at her.

"Me too. I wish you weren't leaving," She replied dryly, clearing her throat.

"I know," He said, kissing her cheek and letting out a deep breath. "See you soon?"

"See you soon," She responded, tapping him on the chest.

Nathan felt a tug at his heart as he turned around. He really felt like he was leaving a piece of him. And not only was it a piece, it was the best part of him. The one that he loved the most, and he hated leaving it behind.

He took a few steps, turning around after a moment and looking at her. "Hey, Haley?"

"Yeah?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I never got the chance to say this but... I love you too," He told her, grinning at her.

A wide smile soon formed on her face, and she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply.

He held her close, lifting her off the ground for a moment then setting her down.

"I love you"

They whispered to each other at the same time, before Haley pushed on his chest, telling him that he needed to leave.

xxxx

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, checking the time on his watch.

He'd just pulled his rental car into Haley's driveway once again after a long day and a half of being away and haggling a shoe deal.

Something that had put him in a terrible mood.

But that was all about to be okay, because he was finally back with Haley again.

Well... He would be in a few hours when she got off work and came home.

He got out of the car quickly, walking around to the trunk and lifting his suitcase out, letting out a deep breath.

He walked over to her garage, typing in the numbers that would spell 'L-U-K-E' and taking a step back while the garage opened up.

He offered a little eye roll and a smile at the code, shaking her head.

When he'd asked her why it was that, she shrugged and told him that Luke did it when he helped her move in and it was easy for her and everyone else to remember.

He chuckled quietly, rolling his eyes again at all of the boxes that filled the garage. If she'd clean it up a little bit then maybe she'd be able to park her car in it.

Nathan let out a sigh, closing the garage and heading inside her house.

He took off his shoes by the garage door, wheeling his suitcase through the livingroom and down the hall to her bedroom, abandoning it by the door.

He walked into the kitchen, smiling at the note that was on the fridge.

'Nathan-

I have a meeting that goes until 4:30 today. I'll pick up dinner on the way home, but eat whatever you want. Clothes are optional.

Love you!

Haley'

He laughed, taking it off the fridge and shoving it into his pocket.

He ran his hand through his hair, walking into the living room once again, sitting down on the couch.

His phone started ringing and he let out a deep breath. Quinn. She'd called him every hour all day, the only escape was the plane ride.

"Did you talk to her yet?" Quinn asked quickly before he even had a chance to say anything.

"I just got here, so no. But she has a meeting so she won't be home until a little bit later," He said, letting out a sigh.

"Nathan, just text her and ask her," Quinn begged into the phone. "I'm dying to hear what she's going to say."

"Okay, Quinn, here's what I want you to do. I want you to tell Clay to come home and watch Logan for a little while, then go out and do something fun because you're stuck at home and driving me crazy," Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Will you just let me know after you talk to her?" Quinn replied, letting out a sigh.

"Look, I'm not going to say yes because I probably won't. I'm sure you'll hear about it from her. Bye, Quinn," He laughed, hanging up the phone and letting out a sigh.

At around 5 o'clock, the front door opened and closed, causing Nathan to sit up quickly from the light sleep he'd fallen into on the couch, looking at Haley and wiping any sleep from his eyes.

"Clothes, hm? A bold choice," She laughed, setting down the take out bag in her hands, walking over to him quickly, leaning down and kissing him.

"I meant to start stripping but I fell asleep," He laughed, rubbing his hand down his face. "Your couch is comfy."

"I know," She whispered, sitting down on the edge of the couch, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him again.

He smiled, pulling back after a moment and raising his eyebrows at her.

"How was work? What was your meeting about?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It was just kind of a sum up the semester so far kind of meeting," She informed him, brushing her hands through his hair. "Boring stuff, really. How was your shoe deal?"

"Didn't go great, but we closed it," He mumbled, kissing her again. "Happy to be back."

"Glad you kept your word," She said, smiling and kissing his cheek, standing up. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," He said, standing up quickly, rubbing his eyes.

"Sleepy?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Very," He laughed, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head.

She smiled, stroking her hand up and down his back briefly, before pulling away. "Let's eat then, hm?"

"Yes," He said, following her to the kitchen.

After eating dinner quickly and fairly quietly, they found themselves back on the couch in the living room, Haley cuddled up next to Nathan, her foot lightly stroking his leg that was rested on the coffee table.

He let out a deep breath, resting his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

He had no idea how to start the conversation he wanted to have with her.

What if she got upset with him? He didn't want to fight anymore.

"So..." Haley began to speak, lifting her head off his shoulder, sitting up straight and letting out a deep breath. "I've been doing some thinking."

"Oh?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and clearing her throat.

"This situation..." She gestured between the two of them, then around at her house. "It's not working anymore. I mean... It never really worked, us living on opposite sides of the country."

"Okay..." He trailed off, nodding and sitting up straighter as well.

"And clearly we're both in this for the long haul," She said, resting her hand on his leg, offering him a small smile. "I just don't think I can handle only seeing you every few weeks, Nathan. So I was thinking..." She bit down on her lip lightly, before speaking again. "I'd come to Charlotte over Spring Break and have a couple of job interviews set up."

What? She was suggested she moved to Charlotte?

"You want to move to Charlotte?" He vocalized his inner thoughts, raising his eyebrows.

"Well there's no way I can ask you to move here, not with Fortitude. I can teach anywhere, Nathan..." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are you serious?" He asked her, grinning slightly. He started laughing, which caused her to knit her eyebrows together in confusion.

"I don't... Why are you laughing?" She asked him, shaking her head and smiling slightly.

"It's just funny... I was going to ask you to move in with me tonight too..." He said, shrugging his shoulders and grinning.

She laughed, raising her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean... I guess we've both been doing some thinking and came to the same conclusion," He said, leaning forward and kissing her. "You don't have to do this though, Haley."

"Honey, there's nothing tying me to Arizona," She assured him, shaking her head quickly. "I was thinking of moving back to Tree Hill before all of this happened, but Charlotte is close enough, and it's where you live, so that's where I want to be," She said, kissing his cheek. "I love you, Nathan. And I'm sick of the traveling and the long distance."

"Me too," He mumbled, nodding at her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders once again.

"So you better be around during spring break. I'll probably still have to finish out the year here though," She said softly, tapping his chest.

"Of course," He said, clearing his throat. "Do you want to hear what I was going to offer if you decided to move in with me?"

"Absolutely," She hummed, grinning up at him.

"Well, I was going to cut back on traveling, especially during the summer when you'd be home all day," He hummed, leaning down and kissing her lightly. "And I was going to suggest we get a place of our own," He told her, shrugging his shoulders. "I like my apartment, but I want us to have a place."

She smiled brightly, kissing him again and brushing his hair back. "I love you, Nathan. I want nothing more than to move in with you. My home is wherever you are now," She said, winking at him.

He smiled, leaning down and kissing her one more time. "I love you too, Haley."

She hummed quietly, resting her head back on his shoulder, letting out a deep breath.

"I guess we finally found a good use for those boxes in the garage, hm?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Those damn boxes. If I hear one more work out of your mouth about them, I swear-"

"What are you going to do? Make our garage a mess with them?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

Haley laughed, stroking her hand over his face.

"I just might."


	12. Chapter 12

**Last chapter, everyone! But I am planning on an epilogue. Thank you so much for reading this short story! I've really enjoyed writing it. **

"I don't know, Brooke..."

Nathan trailed off, looking over at Haley's friend since college, brushing his hands through his hair.

"Yes you do, Nathan," Brooke assured him, shoving him forward lightly into the store. "You came all the way to California just for me to help you with this, so just do it."

Nathan sucked in a slow, deep breath, kicking his foot on the ground. He could feel his chest tighten up at the thought of what he was about to do, leaving little room for air to flow.

"Look..." Brooke sighed, rubbing her hand over his back. "How long have you two been together? Eight months?"

"Nine," Nathan said quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Pull it together, dude," Brooke said, smacking his cheek lightly. "You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

Nathan opened his mouth to answer, glancing over when Peyton and Quinn approached them, each of them holding a soft pretzel in their hands.

He felt so stupid for needing them all here. But the constant reassurance was nice. If it had been Clay or Lucas he'd brought, they probably would have fed his doubts.

But the three closest people to Haley were eating his doubts up and swallowing them.

"What's wrong now?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"He won't go in," Brooke said, gesturing into the store.

"Nathan..." Peyton said, sending him a small smile.

If he heard his name said in that tone of voice one more time, he'd probably explode.

Even if it was on his six month pregnant sister-in-law. The same sister-in-law that vowed she was done having kids. But here she was, pregnant with another Scott boy. Well... Odds were it was a Scott boy.

"Let's just go look around at everything?" Brooke suggested, glancing over at Peyton. "We don't need to start with rings. Let's just look at bracelets and necklaces."

"Yeah, okay..." Nathan trailed off, glancing through the doors of the store once again. After a moment, he finally stepped inside, the three girls trailing behind him.

"Can I help you with anything?" The man working in the store asked them as soon as they entered, raising his eyebrows.

"We're just looking for now, thank you though," Brooke said, gesturing towards the necklaces that were encased in glass.

Nathan approached them, glancing down and letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan," Quinn whispered to him, glancing around the store. "She's not going to say no."

"I'm pretty sure the three of you had me convinced of that the last time I proposed to her," Nathan reminded them, shrugging his shoulders.

"To be fair, I don't think anyone expected her to say no," Brooke pointed out, clearing her throat. "Had you asked her a week before, she probably would've said yes."

"Probably even a day before," Quinn hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Thanks guys. I'm really glad I flew you out here to help me with this," Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"She's going to say yes," Peyton said, tilting her head past the other types of jewelry to where the rings were.

"Okay," He responded, letting out a deep breath.

It wasn't scary. Well... It didn't need to be scary. Because Haley loved him. She'd left her job, sold her house, and moved to Charlotte to be with him. She put up with his constant traveling, although it had become less of a constant since she'd moved in. She put up with his crazy family and friends. They weren't kids anymore.

"What does she think you're doing today?"

Nathan heard Brooke ask Quinn, turning his head to look at his (hopefully) future sister in law.

"I didn't tell her I was leaving," Quinn chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I told Clay just to make something up if she called, and she did last night. He told her we got into a huge fight and I flew to California to take a break. Now she's texting me like every half hour to make sure I'm alright."

"Oh brother," Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes.

"She's too good for this world," Nathan mumbled, his gaze wandering over to the rings again.

"Come on," Peyton said, grabbing Nathan's arm. "Let's just go look. You're with three people who know her really well, alright? Between the four of us, I know we can pick out the perfect ring."

"It's not the ring that matters though, Nathan," Brooke assured him, smiling slightly. "It's the fact that it's coming from you."

"This sounds all too familiar to me," Nathan grumbled, rubbing his hand down his face.

"This time it's true though," Brooke assured him, laughing.

"We'll see," He said, clearing his throat and stepping down to the case full of tons of different rings. "Last time I couldn't afford a great ring, but now I could get something like Brooke's if I wanted," He mumbled, glancing down at the huge ring on Brooke's finger.

"I'd advise against it," Brooke informed him, shaking her head. "Of course, she'll love anything you get her, Nathan. But... This does not fit her."

"I know," He said softly, leaning against the glass case. He glanced at the man behind the counter, pointing at a ring inside the case. "Can I see that one?"

xxxx

"I can't believe we didn't find it," Nathan said, honking the horn on the car he rented as they sat through LA traffic.

Brooke, who was in the front seat next to him, glanced back at Quinn and Peyton. "There were a lot of good options, Nate..."

"This sucks, Brooke," Nathan responded, shaking his head an looking over at her. "I had the perfect ring the first time I proposed to her."

"What did you do with it?" Quinn asked him, clearing her throat.

"I sold it," He mumbled, letting out a slow, deep breath. "She should've just said yes the first time, then I wouldn't be doing this."

"Yes, but she's a dumb bitch," Brooke joked, rubbing his shoulder.

"I thought I would find it today, guys..." He grumbled, honking again.

"Look, you still have tomorrow..." Peyton said, sighing softly. "Maybe you need to be a little less picky. I mean... You came all the way to California, why?"

"So Brooke could help us," He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you don't find it, maybe next week we can go to Louisiana, or Wisconsin, or maybe, just maybe, you can find something in good old North Carolina," Peyton suggested, looking up at him.

"Nathan, you need to let go of the fear, okay?" Quinn said, leaning to the side so she could be visible.

"I know she'll say yes. She's at a different place in her life than she was when you asked her all those years ago, and so are you," Brooke assured him, smiling slightly.

"Just to throw it out there, I also know that she'll say yes," Peyton added, smiling slightly.

"Oh, I know she'll say yes too," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath.

"You guys think, or you know?" He asked, glancing at them in the rear view mirror.

"We know," Quinn said, putting emphasis on the word 'know', nodding at him.

"Make the next right turn," Brooke said, humming softly.

"Why?" Nathan asked, glancing over.

"We're going to throw you your pre engagement bachelor party," Brooke laughed, winking at him. "You seem like you could use a drink. Not to mention, we have the perfect designated driver."

"Bringing a pregnant woman to a bar so that she can be your DD? Classy, Davis," Peyton said sarcastically, laughing.

"Exactly. Thanks for getting pregnant, Peyton!" Brooke said, laughing and looking at her.

Nathan chuckled quietly, shaking his head. He was in for a wild night, wasn't he?

xxxx

Nathan woke up to being hit in the face with a small, rubber basketball, causing him to shoot up quickly.

After his quick movements, he groaned as the headache settled in. Dammit, Brooke. Why did he let her talk him into that?

He let out a deep breath, picking up the ball off his lap and glancing over at the cause of the problem. Brooke and Julian's young sons, Davis and Jude.

"Sorry," Davis mumbled out, offering him a toothy grin.

"You're good," Nathan said softly, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. He held out the ball, smiling when Jude ran over and grabbed it from his hands.

Why the hell wasn't he at his hotel? Instead he'd crashed on Brooke's surprisingly comfortable couch. Were Quinn and Peyton here too? What time was it?

He fished around his pockets, pulling out his phone and letting out a deep breath. It was dead. He probably had not called Haley last night.

He stood up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The smell of food hit him, sending a wave of nausea over him, causing him to sit back on the couch.

It only took a moment for it to pass, and luckily it had, because due to his lack of reflexes, he was hit with the ball once again.

He chuckled quietly, looking at the young culprits and smiling. "Anyone ever teach you how to shoot and actually make it?"

Davis shook his head slowly, offering him a shrug.

Nathan looked at the small basketball hoop in the corner of the room, shooting the ball into it with ease.

He spent the next few minutes teaching the boys a little bit about form and playing rebounder for them.

He had to admit, it was pretty fun, and took his mind off the pain in his head.

"Thought I heard you up," Brooke hummed as she walked in, handing Nathan a cup of coffee. "I am so sorry about last night," She said, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, you owe me one," He mumbled, shaking his head. "I can't believe I went out drinking with you, Quinn, and Peyton. I'm really turning into Haley, aren't I?"

"You'd be lucky if you did," Brooke hummed, rubbing her head.

"Where are Quinn and Peyton?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Quinn is asleep still, Peyton just took a call from Lucas right before I heard you in here," Brooke informed him, letting out a deep breath. "Julian already left for work."

"Do you have a phone charger I can borrow?" Nathan asked her, taking a long drink of his coffee.

"Yep, there's one in the kitchen," She mumbled, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

He headed into the kitchen, letting out a slow, deep breath. He plugged his phone into the charger.

Once it finally charged a bit, he felt it start to vibrate like crazy.

About ten worried texts from his girlfriend came through.

He quickly texted her, letting her know that his phone had died and he forget to plug it in and that he was so sorry. He made sure to add that he'd call her later because he had some stuff to do first.

With that, he called a car to come pick him up, pulled the phone off the charger, and hurried back into the livingroom.

"Alright Brooke, I'm heading back to my hotel. Tell Peyton and Quinn that they can take my rental wherever they need, I called a car. I'll see you before I fly back," He said, hurrying forward, hugging her tightly.

He offered Davis and Jude each a wave, informing them that he expected them to work on their jumpshot until he saw them again, before he hurried out the front door.

xxxx

Nathan smiled at Haley from across the table, listening intently as she told him about her few days without him.

"I watched Logan for a couple of evenings," She informed him, a small smile on her face.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and reaching across the table to take her hand in his own. "How was that?"

"It was fun," She hummed, looking at him and clearing her throat. "How many kids do you think we'll have?"

He laughed, raising his eyebrows at her. "As many as you want, Haley James," He said, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"You used to want three," She said, leaning forward.

"And you used to want two. Our biggest argument," He joked, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly, I'd like an even number now."

"And why is that?" She asked, humming softly.

"So they always have a buddy," He said, glancing around. "I think we should have two close together, wait a few years, them have two more close together."

She smiled at him, this time pulling his hand over to her an kissing his knuckles, her eyes fluttering shut.

He let out a quiet breath, staring at her intently. Haley James was perfect woman for him. She was flawed, stubborn, and she could get pretty annoying sometimes.

But she brought out his happiness. She was his lifeline to the real world after being consumed by a job for many years.

Her friends became his friends, and vise versa. Her happiness became his happiness. Her goals became his goals.

Things that made her light up, made him light up because he loved to see her happy.

He'd been very disappointed when having Brooke, Peyton, and Quinn around didn't result in the perfect ring.

But that was in the back of his mind now.

He could feel his heart start to increase in pace as he thought about the future with her.

She was the only woman that made him think about a future. Sure, he'd constantly thought of ways to improve Fortitude, but until now... He coasted.

"Where's your head?" She asked him quietly, bringing him from his thoughts, placing one more kiss to his hand before returning their joined fingers to the table.

He looked around the backyard of their home. There was a beautiful set up that definitely wasn't there before he'd left. Haley had been wanting to work on their backyard decor, and him leaving for awhile must have been the incentive she needed. White lights were hung all around, surrounding the table in a beautiful glow.

The patio finally had furniture, but she'd pushed it to the side, save for the table covered in a white cloth in the center, and two chairs specifically for them.

There were candles all around. She'd made dinner, and was just putting the finishing touch on things when he got home.

And she looked incredible. He'd skip dinner and go straight to her if he could. But she'd insisted that he go shower and change into something a little bit nicer.

Not exactly the way he planned to propose to her, but Haley's set up was prettier, and probably much more private and ideal for a proposal than what he would have come up with.

Wait a minute...

His favorite food. The candles. The backyard set up. The nice dress. The soft music playing in the background...

He felt her foot brush his leg under the table, causing his eyes to be turned back to her expectant ones.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Are you planning on proposing to me tonight?" He asked her quickly, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

She blinked in surprise at his comment.

And for once, she didn't have the right words to say.

Nathan watched as she pressed her face into her hands, and let out a deep breath.

"Oh my gosh. You were," He said quickly, biting down on his lip to hold back the laugh.

"I knew it was a bad idea, Nathan, I'm sorry..." She groaned, shaking her head. "I don't know, I've never had to propose to someone before. I overdid it didn't I? How did you know? Is it too early? You're not ready for this, are you?"

Nathan couldn't help it, bursting into laughter, which received a confused look from Haley.

"Don't laugh, you jerk," She groaned, reaching across the table and pushing him.

He smiled, grabbing onto her hand tightly. Her small, beautiful hands. Her beautiful hand that he couldn't wait to put a ring on at any second.

Without another thought, worry, or doubt, he pulled the velvet box out of his pocket.

The perfect ring for Haley laid inside.

Yeah, he had not been able to find one with Brooke, Peyton, and Quinn. But that was because they didn't know Haley the same way he did. They each new her in their own unique way, just as he knew her in his. So the four different opinions was chaos.

But he'd gone ring shopping alone, and found the perfect ring in the first store.

He held the box up, clearing his throat. "Haley, I was planning on proposing to you tonight."

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape, her eyes filling with relief. As she eyed the black box in his hand, she too started laughing.

"I can't believe you ruined my proposal," She laughed, kicking him lightly under the table.

"Ah, but you, my love, perfected mine," He said, kissing her knuckles, standing up slowly. He pulled her up to her feet.

She swallowed, her eyes already filled with tears and he had yet to say anything.

"Haley James," Nathan began, clearing his throat. "I'm going to try not to steal things from my first proposal, as long as you try to say yes this time," He joked, squeezing her hand.

She let out a laugh, squeezing his hand in return and nodding quickly.

He slowly lowered himself down onto one knee. "You were mine from the moment I saw you. Not literally, of course, but in my brain, you were mine. I loved you from afar, and occasionally up close. But no matter the distance, I loved you. No matter how annoying I was to you, I loved you," He whispered, taking a moment to kiss her hand. "I'd do anything for you, Haley. Even if I had to go through everything again, I would. The pain that I felt when I lost you just reaffirmed the love I felt for you, and the desire I have to continue to love you for the rest of time," He said, nodding up at her.

She was full on crying now. Her right hand had come up to cover her mouth. Her tears brought them to his own eyes.

"When I look into your eyes, I see strength. I know that no matter what, I'll have you next to me. Even when I'm wrong, you'll fight with me until I realize it myself. I'll always be there for you, Hales. I'll always protect you. Because that's the kind of man I've become thanks to you. I love you so much. Always and Forever, Haley James..." He trailed off, feeling the tears start to trail down his face as he got lost in her beautiful gaze as he'd done so many time before.

He finally spoke again, grinning at her, "I never thought I'd be mentioning Instagram in a proposal but of course, I have to," He laughed, winking at her. "From the moment you followed me, you flipped my world around and brought back every memory that I tried to force out. But I couldn't force you out forever, Haley. I should have known you'd find your way into my heart once again, because truthfully, I don't think you ever left. You're the only like I'll ever need for the rest of my life," He hummed, which earned a laugh and an eye roll from her. "So, Hales... Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She said quickly, pulling him up to his feet and kissing him.

Nathan encircled her waist with his arms, unable to keep the huge grin off his face as he kissed her, holding her close.

After a moment, he parted from her, opening up the velvet box quickly.

"It's perfect," She said softly, biting her lip and looking down as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"No, you're perfect," He replied quickly, kissing her again.

"Hold on," She said, pushing on his chest lightly. "Does this mean you'll marry me as well?"

"I guess your proposal was a success after all," He joked, leaning down and kissing her again.

And again.

And again.

Because he never had to stop and he never would.


	13. Chapter 13

**I can't believe this story is over! Again, thank you so much for all the love. This has really brought back a love of writing. So glad I decided to make it more than just a one-shot!**

**Epilogue**

Things progressed quickly from the night Nathan and Haley had proposed to each other.

The wedding was planned in under two months.

Nathan had been waiting to marry Haley for 20 years, he didn't want to wait much longer.

The gold band on his left hand never seemed to lose the shine. Although his hand quickly adjusted to it (he'd never been a ring guy) his eyes never did. Even a glance would swell him with pride.

Along with a wedding, they didn't waste much time starting their family. They were married in early November, and Haley was pregnant by January, which was a little inconvenient for her school schedule, but they made it work. Although James Lucas Scott wasn't officially "planned" they said that he was.

Nathan was 29 when he was born. And he felt the same pride when he looked at his son as he did when he looked at his wedding band.

When Jamie was two they'd unexpectedly found out about little miss Lydia Bob Scott. She was a spitfire from day one.

They'd almost decided to stop at her because of the difficulty of them each having careers, while managing a three year old and a newborn.

When Lydia reached two... They'd decided they might as well go for another since they weren't getting any younger. A joke that Haley really didn't appreciate, but Nathan thought was funny.

This time, it had been twins. Twins.

Nicholas Royal Scott and Noah Daniel Scott.

Haley called naming them the worst mistake of her life because when she was yelling at one, she cycled through a few, Nathan's own name being one of them.

Despite the plan being four kids, they weren't quite sure they could handle two babies at once.

But they did it. Somehow, someway, they managed four kids, all under the age of six. It was a little bit easier once Jamie went to school, but still, three kids and two of them. The odds were not in their favor.

But there they stood. Nathan age 36, and Haley age 37, still crushing it.

Jamie was six, Lydia was four, and Noah and Nick were two.

Nathan had significantly cut down on his traveling so that Haley could still work, and the beauty of that was that Clay had done the same, so now they pretty much ran things from Charlotte.

He did travel once a month, most of the time it was only for one or two days, but occasionally it was for a whole week, depending on the situation.

Nathan was just returning from one of those nearly week long trips now.

He nodded at Clay, mumbling a quiet farewell, stepping out of the car quickly. He grabbed his bag from the back of Clay's car, waving one more time and heading inside.

"Daddy!" Lydia screamed, jumping from the couch to his arms.

He held her tightly, pressing a kiss to her head. "Hey, beautiful," He hummed, setting her down after a moment.

She looked just like Haley. Just like her.

"Where's everyone?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"We're playing hide and seek. I'm the seeker," She informed him, nodding her head.

"Oh? Well how about I go change and then I help you?" He suggested, grinning at her.

"Yay!" Lydia hummed, reaching her arms up for Nathan to pick her up again.

He quickly did so, hurrying to his and Haley's bedroom. He dropped his bag on their bed, a small smile on his face as he put Lydia down next to it.

He pulled some clothes out of the closet, stepping into the bathroom to change.

After quickly changing from his suit into a t-shirt and basketball shorts, he stepped out, tossing his clothes onto the bed as well.

"Okay, let's go find them, hm?" He suggested, turning around and crouching down slightly so Lydia could jump on his back.

"I was peeking," She whispered to him, giggling quietly. "So I know what room Jamie is in."

"Oh, do you?" He laughed, looking over his shoulder at her.

She nodded in response, pointing out of the bedroom.

Nathan followed her pointing until it led him to the kitchen. He looked at her again, raising his eyebrows.

"I think he's in a cupboard," Lydia whispered, gesturing around.

Nathan set her down quickly, smiling slightly. "You look in this half, I'll look in that."

He knew exactly which cupboard young Jamie Scott was hiding in. The cupboard that was slightly open.

But of course, he had to look through different ones before ending on the one he was actually in.

He pulled it open, seeing a surprised look on his oldest son's face.

"Dad!" He said quickly, letting Nathan lift him out of the cupboard, hugging him tightly.

"Hey Jame," Nathan said, rubbing Jamie's back.

"I didn't hear you get home," Jamie responded, letting out a deep breath.

"I brought you guys some stuff but I'll give it to after we find your Mom and brothers," He said, setting Jamie down and smiling.

"I have no clue," Lydia said, shrugging her shoulders and looking at them.

Nathan smiled, clearing his throat. "I might have an idea?"

The twins wanted to hide in the same place every single time. And had he been gone only a day or two, he would've let Lydia pull him around the house to multiple different places before he made the suggestion. But... He really wanted to see his wife now.

So he led the kids to the guest bathroom in the back of their house, twisting the door handle, and pressing his ear to the door.

He heard Haley shush their giggles, causing a wide grin to form on his face.

He glanced over his shoulder at the two children following him, offering them a small nod, before pushing open the door.

He opened the shower door quickly, poking his head in.

"Nathan!" Haley said in surprise, a smile forming on her face.

"We found you!" Lydia cheered from the other side of him.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, offering her a thumbs up.

Nick and Noah both scrambled away from Haley, hurrying to Nathan and hugging him.

Nathan smiled, picking up them both, hugging them tightly to him. "Hi guys," He said, chuckling quietly.

They both started talking to him, and he honestly couldn't make out a single bit of it, but he nodded along anyways.

Haley stood up slowly, stepping out of the shower and smiling at him. "Hey, you," She said, standing on her toes and kissing him briefly. "When did you get home?"

"Just a little bit ago. I texted you when my flight landed," He said, kissing her again.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, looking up at him sheepishly. "My phone is dead," She hummed, shrugging.

"Of course," He laughed, kissing her forehead. He set the boys down slowly, gesturing for them to all exit the bathroom.

"The kids play on it all day," She said in her own defense, smiling at him.

"Sure, sure," He laughed, nodding at her. "Hey kids? Why don't you watch a movie while Mom and I make dinner?" He suggested, turning to look at them with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah!" Lydia cheered, grabbing onto Noah's hand, while Jamie grabbed Nick's, rushing ahead of them to run into the living room.

"Oh, I missed you," Haley whispered, grabbing onto his hand and turning him towards her.

"Not as much as I missed you," He responded, leaning down and pressing another quick kiss to her lips. "You go pick a movie for them, I'll go get started on figuring out what to eat."

He headed into the kitchen, rubbing his hand down his face and letting out a deep breath, pulling open the fridge and looking inside.

It seemed like he'd only been standing there for a few seconds, but when Haley came into the kitchen, it had actually been a few minutes later.

"You know, if you want to keep things cold in the fridge, it's not the best idea to leave it open," She informed him, smiling slightly.

Nathan whipped around to look at her, a sheepish smile on his face.

She'd hardly changed since she was twenty years old. Her hair color had changed often, but she still looked fairly young for her age. There were a few more lines on her face since they'd gotten back together, but years and kids will do that to anyone, and despite being some unique hybrid version that hardly aged, she was still human.

He, on the other hand, had proof of his age due to the salt and pepper look that he now sported. It was subtle, and if he kept his hair shirt enough, no one could tell.

"Stop looking at me like that," She told him quickly, shaking her head and holding up her hand.

"Like what?" He said, smirking slightly.

She sent him a knowing look, walking over to him and pulling him into a tight hug, pressing her face into his neck and closing her eyes.

He smiled, his arms wrapping around her with ease. "I missed you, Haley."

"Not as much as I missed you probably," She hummed, pressing a delicate kiss to his neck, rubbing her nose against the scruff on his jawline.

"Oh, I can guarantee that. It's way easier to wrestle four kids with two people," He laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"You look tired," She said, raising her hand up to brush his cheek.

"I am tired," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders. "But I think that's just because I'm old."

She rolled her eyes at his comment, standing on her toes and kissing him softly.

He smiled against her mouth, beginning to part from her after a moment, but her hand moved to the back of his head, forcing him to stay put.

Not that he was complaining.

"I was thinking..." She said after a moment, sliding her hand up and down his chest. "We could just do a pizza night tonight."

"Do our kids even know what pizza is?" He joked, raising his eyebrows, letting his hands fall to her waist.

"You're funny," She laughed, leaning against him. "What do you say? I'm tired, I know that you're tired..."

"Well, we better make a pros and cons list," He joked, turning away from her, facing the whiteboard that was hung on the fridge by magnets. He picked up the marker that was attached, beginning to write.

"Pro: neither of us has to cook dinner," Haley said, humming softly.

"Con: pizza isn't incredible for you," He joked, writing it down and looking over at her just as she finished and eye roll at his dumb antics.

"Was that an eye roll? Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He asked her, stepping towards her quickly.

"No," She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

He quickly capped the marker, tossing it onto the counter, before hurrying towards her. "Haley James," He clicked his tongue at her, shaking his eyes. "I think we have a zero tolerance for eye rolling in this home."

"Really? With your attitude?" She asked, stepping back as he got closer to her.

"Yes," He said, grabbing her by the waist before she could get too far, backing her up into the countertop. He began to tickle her, causing her to let out a loud laugh.

"Honey, honey," She laughed, pushing on his chest lightly. "Stop," She begged, shaking her head and pressing her face into his shoulder to try and quiet her laughs. "The kids... They're watching a movie."

He looked over to the couch, shaking his head. "They're so into it, they can't even hear us," He laughed, releasing her from his grip and taking a step back. "Okay, okay. I'm done. Will you call?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes," She said, standing on her toes and kissing him again. "You should go sit with them. They missed you a hell of a lot more than I did."

"Oh, so you went from missing me more than I missed you to the kids missed me but you didn't?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Funny how life does that, hm?" She said, winking at you. "I'll get you all to myself tonight, don't you worry."

"Please, if that actually happens, I'll give you all of the money I have in my wallet," He said, making a show of rolling his eyes before laughing.

"I already took it," She joked, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus, I kinda think you just offered to pay me for sex."

"I did," He said, pulling out his phone and typing on it quickly, before raising his eyebrows at her. "In fact, I just sent you a venmo request, so when your phone is charged, might want to grab that before the kids," He hummed, heading out of the kitchen to the living room.

Haley groaned, rolling her eyes. "Did you at least make it private?"

She called after him, leaning against the counter.

He looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a shrug, before looking at the kids. "Okay, kiddos. Who wants to sit by me?"

He smiled at the chorus of 'Me! Me! Me!' That followed his question, glancing over at Haley, who had a wide smile on her face.

"I have an idea," He said, scooping Nick and Noah up, holding them in his lap and taking a seat between Lydia and Jamie.

Their night had gone fairly smoothly. The venmo request 100% did not go through, which was to be expected when they had four kids that loved their dad and didn't want to spend a second apart from him for the first 24 hours of his arrival back home.

They were crammed into bed, the four kids somehow fit in between them.

Nathan looked over at Haley, who was stroking Lydia's hair lightly while she slept, a book in her other hand. He smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath. "Haley?" He said softly.

"Hm?" She hummed, looking over at him.

"I love you," He whispered, clearing his throat.

"I love you too," She responded, offering him a small nod.

He looked across the four kids, reaching his hand over and resting it on his wife's shoulder, chuckling quietly. That would do for now.

She also looked at their four kids, before meeting her husband's eyes when his hand landed on her shoulder.

"I'm pregnant," Haley informed him after a moment of silence, clearing her throat.

He raised his eyebrows, "Are you serious?"

"Yes," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Two years apart. Just like it always is," She said, shaking her head.

He laughed, glancing down at Jamie, who was next to him, the twins, and then Lydia next to her. He got out of bed slowly, walking around it and leaning down and kissing her quickly.

"Well that definitely wasn't the plan," He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"No, it wasn't," She mumbled, letting out a deep breath.

"You know what this means?" He laughed, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Don't say it," She joked, raising her hand up to his face.

"We have to have another one after this!" He informed her, smirking slightly.

"One more. And then vasectomy," She said, closing her book and setting it on the night stand.

"We'll talk about it later," He hummed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Five kids. Wow."

"A basketball team?" She hummed, raising his eyebrows at him.

He smirked at her comment, leaning down and kissing her yet again. "The fact that you just said that reaffirms everything I already know."

"And what's that?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I could never love anyone the way I love you," He said, smiling at her.

She smiled, pulling him down and kissing him. "So you're happy?"

"How could I not be? I have a smoking hot wife and in nineish months I'm going to have five incredible kids," He said, grinning at her. "Are you happy?"

"We planned on these four, kind of, and you know how much I love a good plan..." She hummed, glancing down at their kids. "But I'm happy. I wanted the test to he positive."

He grinned at her, kissing her forehead. "Tomorrow night, we're locking our door, okay?"

"Deal," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

He kissed her one last time, before walking around the bed and taking his spot once again. He grabbed his phone off the night stand, quickly pulling up Instagram, a small smirk on his face.

He found his wife's name, scrolling to the top of their messages to find the messages from nearly ten years ago, letting out a deep breath, beginning to read over them slowly.

He felt warmth take over his whole body as he did, a content smile on his face that could only be caused by Haley and their family.

He couldn't believe how far they'd come from these two awkward people trying to figure out how to become friends again after so many years apart.

Now they were married with four kids, and another one on the way. Things had not been easy, but they had been worth it. He wouldn't trade a single moment of his life.

He looked over at Haley, who had slowly fallen asleep in the amount of time it had taken him to read their messages to each other.

He quickly typed out a new message, a small smile on his face.

'Hey Haley?'

He glanced over at his sleeping wife once again, raising his phone up and taking a picture of the five most important people in his life.

He sent that to her, a grin on his face.

'I love you.'


End file.
